Latest news with #modernwarfare
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Australia could be cut off from internet in hours during war, ex-Deputy Secretary of Defence warns
Australia could be digitally isolated within hours of a regional conflict erupting, with 99 per cent of the nation's internet traffic flowing through just 15 undersea cables that enemy submarines could easily sever. The chilling scenario has been outlined by one of Australia's top defence strategists as Exercise Talisman Sabre – involving 40,000 troops from 19 countries – exposes the nation's woeful lack of preparedness for modern warfare. Mike Pezzullo, former Deputy Secretary of Defence, warns that any future conflict wouldn't begin with missiles or bombs, but with cyberattacks designed to cripple Australia's digital infrastructure. 'It would be in cyber. You'd start to see a degradation of the internet,' Pezzullo told 7NEWS. If those critical undersea cables are cut by submarines or crewless vessels, the country would be digitally isolated, cutting off communications, banking, emergency services and the digital backbone that modern Australia relies on to function. 'We are nowhere near ready' The Exercise Talisman Sabre currently underway in Central Queensland has seen US, Australian, French and German forces, among other allies, flexing their military might. But behind the military spectacle lies a more serious warning about Australia's defence capabilities. 'We are nowhere near ready,' Mr Pezzullo said. With tensions escalating in the Indo-Pacific, Mr Pezzullo believes there's at least an 80 per cent chance Australia would be drawn into any conflict between China and Taiwan if the US becomes involved. 'It might start there,' he says. 'But I can assure you, it won't end there.' The strategic reality is stark. Australia's military, ports, bases and intelligence systems are deeply integrated with America's defence network. 'We don't really have a choice,' Pezzullo explains. 'Our military, ports, bases, intelligence systems - they're all deeply tied to America's.' Critical infrastructure exposed Beyond the cyber threat, Australia faces multiple vulnerabilities that could prove catastrophic in any regional conflict. After cutting internet cables, Mr Pezzullo warns targeted missile strikes would likely follow, aimed at key infrastructure including air bases, radar facilities and defence logistics. 'You'd want to ensure those are protected,' Mr Pezzullo said. 'But we have no missile defence systems. We're completely bereft in that area.' Fuel supplies present another critical weakness, with 90 per cent of Australia's oil and petrol flowing through the South China Sea – the very region where any Taiwan conflict would likely unfold. 'We only store enough for 60 days,' Pezzullo warns. Defence assets visible on google maps Adding to Australia's vulnerabilities, billions of dollars' worth of defence aircraft are sitting exposed on tarmacs, visible to anyone with access to Google Maps satellite imagery. Recent drone strikes have demonstrated the devastating potential of low-cost technology. Earlier this year, Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web saw 117 drones destroy approximately $7 billion worth of Russian military assets, including strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. 'Everything visible from space or aircraft is available on Google Earth, NASA Worldview, or other public systems,' defence strategist Professor David Kilcullen told Australia's fleet of P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance jets at Adelaide's RAAF Base Edinburgh and C-17A transport aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland are clearly visible on public satellite imagery, lined up on tarmacs with no protective cover. 'Unfortunately, Google Maps shows almost everything,' Marc Ablong of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute tells 9News. 'You can see the base infrastructure, people on the base, where the guard posts are. You can determine access points, weak points in fence lines.' Playing catch-up While Australia has major defence projects underway, including AUKUS nuclear submarines, new frigates, cruise missiles and underwater drones, Mr Pezzullo says those efforts are still years from completion. 'That technology is improving almost monthly, but we're playing catch-up,' he says. Some argue Australia shouldn't risk its economy by confronting China, the nation's largest trading partner. Mr Pezzullo says that the argument becomes irrelevant in the context of global conflict. 'We'd all suffer through the tanking of the global economy,' he said. He believes Australia's defence budget will need to rise from its current level to three or even three-and-a-half per cent of GDP to adequately deter adversaries and defend the nation. Counter-Drone Defence Underway Defence officials say they're taking the drone threat seriously, with Project Land 156 launched late last year to develop counter-drone systems, complemented by Mission Syracuse focusing on advanced drone intercepting technology. 'The protection of Defence's critical assets is a priority area for work and investment,' a defence spokesperson tells 'Security of bases, ports and barracks is, and will remain, a focus for Defence resources.' Modern counter-drone systems being developed use acoustic, thermal, radar and electro-optic sensors to detect threats, with various methods to neutralise them, including signal disruption and physical destruction. 'Modern counter-drone systems, incorporating radar, radio frequency detection, electronic warfare and directed energy capabilities, are already active across global deployments,' DroneShield CEO Oleg Vornick tells defence industry magazine ADM. Despite the challenges, Mr Pezzullo remains clear about Australia's strategic priorities. 'Plan A is always peace through diplomacy. But if you want peace, prepare for war,' he said.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- The Sun
Watch world's first laser tank that can jam and fry drones in mid-air in eerie vision of the future of warfare
A WORLD first high-tech tank that can zap drones out of the sky with lasers has been unveiled. This new armoured vehicle offers a terrifying glimpse into the rapidly evolving nature of modern warfare. 7 7 7 7 The ALKA-KAPLAN is being introduced by Turkey in a drive to have state-of-the-art tech ready to deploy on the battlefield. It is designed to take out dangerous flying drones while working alongside other tanks and infantry. As well as protecting troops from aerial threats, it can also tackle roadside bombs and other explosive devices. But unlike more conventional air defence systems, this new model uses futuristic tech to protect friendly forces from drone attacks. It can disable hostile drones using electromagnetic jamming tech and powerful lasers to eliminate threats. The vehicle also uses artificial intelligence-assisted tracking and threat identification. This allows it to quickly spot, identify and eliminate enemy drones and explosive devices. Its systems can also be used to help target helicopters and other flying threats. New footage has shown the high-tech tank in action, targeting a lone drone and rapidly zapping it out of the sky. The tank will use its jammers to disrupt the enemy drone before firing an intense laser blast to knock it out of action. Huge fleet of terrifying new Chinese 'tank boats' takes to water as Taiwan launches huge war drills With options for fixed, mobile, or portable settings, the tank can be deployed in versatile ways to protect urban areas, open spaces and convoys. Its design also removes the need for auxiliary power units - and makes stealthy operations easier. The tank is part of an effort by Turkey to reduce its reliance on foreign defence tech, website Interesting Engineering has reported. ALKA-KAPLAN is set to be officially shown at tech event IDEF 2025, the outlet added. It comes as the use of drones in modern warfare becomes increasingly widespread. Drones have been extensively used during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has repeatedly pounded the war-torn nation with swarms of deadly drones. Violent drone and missile strikes have intensely bombarded Ukrainian cities - killing and wounding large numbers of civilians. The brutal attacks even destroyed a Kyiv kindergarten in recent days. Subway stations have been turned into makeshift shelters as drones swarm through the skies. 7 7
Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Battle Lines: ‘If it flies it dies'
Donald Trump—never one to shy away from controversy—has done another dramatic U-turn. After flatly refusing to send any more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, he's now decided to send them anyway. So what's changed? And why do these missiles matter so much? Let's cut through the noise. Are Patriot missiles genuinely game-changers on the battlefield, or are they just a powerful symbol in modern warfare? To get to the truth, we're speaking to someone who's actually been there—Air Marshal Edward Stringer. He spent 39 years in the RAF, flew combat missions over Iraq, and went up against anti-aircraft systems himself. If anyone knows what Patriot missiles can really do, it's him.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
How Ukraine's drone-infested front is slowing Russia's advance
The transformed nature of modern warfare is starkly evident to a weary Ukrainian platoon commander, medically evacuated from the front lines. The skies above Ukraine now swarm with kamikaze, surveillance, bomber, and anti-drone UAVs. These numerous, cheap, and deadly machines are considered by Kyiv to be a primary reason Ukraine can withstand advancing Russian forces this year and beyond, a view shared by a dozen Ukrainian commanders, officials, and arms manufacturers. So pervasive are these remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles that Ukrainian soldiers refer to the roughly 10-kilometre corridor on either side of the contact line as the "kill zone," where targets are swiftly spotted and neutralised by both sides. The war's evolution into the most drone-intensive conflict ever seen has eaten away at Russia's ability to exploit its traditional advantages in troop numbers, artillery and tanks, according to two Ukrainian battlefield commanders interviewed. Any large vehicle operating near the front is now an obvious target, meaning Russian forces can no longer make the kind of rapid advances they did in 2022 with columns of armoured vehicles, according to the commanders as well as the founder of OCHI, a system which centralises video feeds from over 15,000 Ukrainian military drone crews on the front lines. "The enemy sees you completely," OCHI's Oleksandr Dmitriev added. "No matter where you go or what you are driving." Russia has consequently adapted its tactics, the Ukrainian battlefield commanders said; its forces now typically attack in small groups of five or six - on foot or on motorbikes or quad bikes - in an attempt expose Ukrainian positions by drawing their fire and then launching drone strikes at them, they added. Russia's defence ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on this article. Despite the changes in warfare, Russian forces retain the ascendancy and are making slow but steady advances in the east and north of Ukraine. Russia has also caught up in UAV technology after falling behind early in the war, according to military analysts, and like its enemy is churning out drones domestically at a rate of millions a year. Meanwhile, European leaders are trying to parse President Donald Trump 's announcement this week that America would supply arms to Ukraine via NATO, with Europe picking up the bill. Many details remain unclear, including the types and quantity of weapons, how quickly they would be sent and precisely how they would be paid for, U.S. and European officials said this week. The White House didn't respond to queries on the supply plan. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the war had gone on too long and Trump wanted to end the killing, and so is selling U.S. arms to NATO for Ukraine and threatening hefty sanctions on Russia. The people interviewed for this article, who were speaking before Trump's weapons announcement, said they believed Ukraine could fight on and resist Russia even if no more U.S. aid was forthcoming, though they didn't give precise timelines. Many cited the primacy of drones as having levelled the field to some degree and made Ukraine more self-sufficient, and also pointed to growing military supplies from European allies. "We can hold out for months," said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's arms expert and strategic adviser, when asked about what would happen if U.S. weapons supplies ceased. "In 2023 or 2024, it would have been a lot worse; we would be talking about days or weeks." Polish military analyst Konrad Muzyka, who has made numerous visits to the front lines, said Ukraine's focus was to sap the strength of Russian attacks, adding that Kyiv didn't currently have the capability to launch offensives of its own. He said Ukraine would likely struggle in a long war of attrition due to its manpower shortages and Russia's superior resources. Although drones have changed the battlefield, he cautioned against overstating their ability to make up for an absence of artillery and mortars. "To deliver the amount of damage that an artillery shell does to a target, you would need to launch tens of drones," he added. "Drones can fill in the gaps to some extent and give you some breathing space, but they are not a substitute for artillery." Destruction rains from above Drones are demons, at least for those in the kill zone that straddles the 1,000 km line of contact. Reconnaissance UAVs from both sides - resembling shrunken airplanes, made of plastic or styrofoam and equipped with sophisticated cameras - can spot enemies from several kilometres away. They hover over the front lines, relaying back what they see in real time. They find targets for the fleets of bomber drones - often hexacopters the size of coffee tables that can drop precision grenades with 3D-printed tailfins - as well as kamikaze drones, some with RPG warheads strapped on to pierce armour, which can fly into soldiers, tanks and weapons systems. The platoon commander being evacuated from the front, a 35-year-old called Ivan who goes by the call sign "Atom", said soldiers on both sides now saw UAVs as the biggest threat to their lives, replacing shells, mines and enemy fighters which were the primary perils earlier in the war. A medic with him on the bus, 34-year-old Olga Kozum, concurred: Most of the battlefield injuries she and her colleagues treat are caused by UAVs, she said. According to internal Ukrainian estimates seen by Reuters, drones accounted for 69% of strikes on Russian troops and 75% of strikes on vehicles and equipment in 2024. About 18% of strikes on Russian infantry and 15% of strikes on vehicles and equipment were conducted with artillery, and even less with mortars, according to the same estimates. The wartime UAV arms race has spawned many innovations; both sides are deploying short-range, fibre-optic drones that cannot be electronically jammed, as well as "interceptors" that hunt down and destroy enemy reconnaissance and attack drones. Kyiv's planned production this year of 30,000 long-range UAVs, designed to attack targets deep inside Russia such as arms depots and energy facilities, gives Ukraine an increased offensive threat, according to Vadym Sukharevskyi, commander of the country's drone forces until early June. The average cost of a long-range strike drone ranges from $50,000 to $300,000, about 10 times less than a missile of similar range, although a drone's warhead is smaller, Sukharevskyi said in an interview while still in the post. "This is our asymmetrical answer," he said, adding that Ukraine started developing such drones "precisely because we lack missiles". Kamyshin, President Zelensky's adviser, added: "You can't win a big war if you are only defending." Long-range drone strikes are "one of the main cards Ukraine can play against Russia right now". Wanted: U.S. patriots and intel Ukraine's military-industrial base is expanding rapidly, and now accounts for around 40% of the weapons and equipment used, including drones, according to Zelensky, who on Wednesday set out a target to reach 50% in six months. Kyiv has also sought to diversify its supplies and its European allies are providing growing amounts of munitions, potentially making the country more resilient to geopolitical shocks. The Kiel Institute, a German-based economic research group, estimated in a report last month that Europe had surpassed the U.S. in total military aid provided over the course of the war for the first time since June 2022, reaching 72 billion euros compared with 65 billion euros from Washington. The institute said aid flows to Ukraine shifted significantly in March and April as no new U.S. aid was allocated and European countries upped support. While the U.S. has been - and remains - the largest sole supplier of artillery shells to Ukraine during the war, Europe is expanding capacity and has purchased hundreds of thousands of munitions from within and outside the continent. Of around 420,000 artillery shells received by Ukraine from the start of this year until around mid-May, only 160,000 were from the United States, according to a European security source who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters. Kamyshin said Ukraine made around 2.4 million of its own shells in 2024, although these were mostly for mortars, which are shorter range. Ukraine is nonetheless particularly reliant on the U.S. in the areas of air defences and intelligence sharing, military analysts said. Kyiv particularly covets U.S. Patriot air defence systems, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles that Russia is firing with increasing frequency. As of April this year, Ukraine had seven fully operational systems, well short of the 25 that Zelenskiy has requested, according to analysts at Ukrainian publication Defence Express. Long-range drone and missile attacks often rely on U.S. satellite intelligence. European countries can only go a small way to replacing were the United States to stop sharing it, the European Union Institute for Security Studies said.
Reuters
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Insight: Enter the kill zone: Ukraine's drone-infested front slows Russian advance
KYIV/BERLIN, July 17 (Reuters) - "Drones, drones, drones. Only drones. A lot of drones." A weary Ukrainian platoon commander speaks to the transformed nature of modern warfare as he's medically evacuated from the front lines. Kamikaze drones. Surveillance drones. Bomber drones. Drones that kill other drones. These machines swarm the skies in vast numbers. They're cheap, they're deadly and they're among the main reasons Ukraine believes it can hold out against advancing Russian forces this year and even beyond, according to a dozen Ukrainian commanders, officials and arms manufacturers involved in Kyiv's defence. Ukrainian soldiers describe the drone-infested corridor covering about 10 km either side of the line of contact as the "kill zone" because remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed by both sides can swiftly spot and neutralise targets. The war's evolution into the most drone-intensive conflict ever seen has eaten away at Russia's ability to exploit its traditional advantages in troop numbers, artillery and tanks, according to two Ukrainian battlefield commanders interviewed. Any large vehicle operating near the front is now an obvious target, meaning Russian forces can no longer make the kind of rapid advances they did in 2022 with columns of armoured vehicles, according to the commanders as well as the founder of OCHI, a system which centralizes video feeds from over 15,000 Ukrainian military drone crews on the front lines. "The enemy sees you completely," OCHI's Oleksandr Dmitriev added. "No matter where you go or what you are driving." Russia has consequently adapted its tactics, the Ukrainian battlefield commanders said; its forces now typically attack in small groups of five or six - on foot or on motorbikes or quad bikes - in an attempt expose Ukrainian positions by drawing their fire and then launching drone strikes at them, they added. Russia's defence ministry didn't respond to a request for comment on this article. Despite the changes in warfare, Russian forces retain the ascendancy and are making slow but steady advances in the east and north of Ukraine. Russia has also caught up in UAV technology after falling behind early in the war, according to military analysts, and like its enemy is churning out drones domestically at a rate of millions a year. Meanwhile, European leaders are trying to parse President Donald Trump's announcement this week that America would supply arms to Ukraine via NATO, with Europe picking up the bill. Many details remain unclear, including the types and quantity of weapons, how quickly they would be sent and precisely how they would be paid for, U.S. and European officials said this week. The White House didn't respond to queries on the supply plan. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the war had gone on too long and Trump wanted to end the killing, and so is selling U.S. arms to NATO for Ukraine and threatening hefty sanctions on Russia. The people interviewed for this article, who were speaking before Trump's weapons announcement, said they believed Ukraine could fight on and resist Russia even if no more U.S. aid was forthcoming, though they didn't give precise timelines. Many cited the primacy of drones as having levelled the field to some degree and made Ukraine more self-sufficient, and also pointed to growing military supplies from European allies. "We can hold out for months," said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's arms expert and strategic adviser, when asked about what would happen if U.S. weapons supplies ceased. "In 2023 or 2024, it would have been a lot worse – we would be talking about days or weeks." Polish military analyst Konrad Muzyka, who has made numerous visits to the front lines, said Ukraine's focus was to sap the strength of Russian attacks, adding that Kyiv didn't currently have the capability to launch offensives of its own. He said Ukraine would likely struggle in a long war of attrition due to its manpower shortages and Russia's superior resources. Although drones have changed the battlefield, he cautioned against overstating their ability to make up for an absence of artillery and mortars. "To deliver the amount of damage that an artillery shell does to a target, you would need to launch tens of drones," he added. "Drones can fill in the gaps to some extent and give you some breathing space, but they are not a substitute for artillery." Drones are demons, at least for those in the kill zone that straddles the 1,000 km line of contact. Reconnaissance UAVs from both sides - resembling shrunken airplanes, made of plastic or styrofoam and equipped with sophisticated cameras - can spot enemies from several kilometres away. They hover over the front lines, relaying back what they see in real time. They find targets for the fleets of bomber drones - often hexacopters the size of coffee tables that can drop precision grenades with 3D-printed tailfins - as well as kamikaze drones, some with RPG warheads strapped on to pierce armour, which can fly into soldiers, tanks and weapons systems. The platoon commander being evacuated from the front, a 35-year-old called Ivan who goes by the call sign "Atom", said soldiers on both sides now saw UAVs as the biggest threat to their lives, replacing shells, mines and enemy fighters which were the primary perils earlier in the war. A medic with him on the bus, 34-year-old Olga Kozum, concurred: Most of the battlefield injuries she and her colleagues treat are caused by UAVs, she said. According to internal Ukrainian estimates seen by Reuters, drones accounted for 69% of strikes on Russian troops and 75% of strikes on vehicles and equipment in 2024. About 18% of strikes on Russian infantry and 15% of strikes on vehicles and equipment were conducted with artillery, and even less with mortars, according to the same estimates. The wartime UAV arms race has spawned many innovations; both sides are deploying short-range, fibre-optic drones that cannot be electronically jammed, as well as "interceptors" that hunt down and destroy enemy reconnaissance and attack drones. Kyiv's planned production this year of 30,000 long-range UAVs, designed to attack targets deep inside Russia such as arms depots and energy facilities, gives Ukraine an increased offensive threat, according to Vadym Sukharevskyi, commander of the country's drone forces until early June. The average cost of a long-range strike drone ranges from $50,000 to $300,000, about 10 times less than a missile of similar range, although a drone's warhead is smaller, Sukharevskyi said in an interview while still in the post. "This is our asymmetrical answer," he said, adding that Ukraine started developing such drones "precisely because we lack missiles". Kamyshin, President Zelenskiy's adviser, added: "You can't win a big war if you are only defending." Long-range drone strikes are "one of the main cards Ukraine can play against Russia right now". WANTED: U.S. PATRIOTS AND INTEL Ukraine's military-industrial base is expanding rapidly, and now accounts for around 40% of the weapons and equipment used, including drones, according to Zelenskiy, who on Wednesday set out a target to reach 50% in six months. Kyiv has also sought to diversify its supplies and its European allies are providing growing amounts of munitions, potentially making the country more resilient to geopolitical shocks. The Kiel Institute, a German-based economic research group, estimated in a report last month, opens new tab that Europe had surpassed the U.S. in total military aid provided over the course of the war for the first time since June 2022, reaching 72 billion euros compared with 65 billion euros from Washington. The institute said aid flows to Ukraine shifted significantly in March and April as no new U.S. aid was allocated and European countries upped support. While the U.S. has been - and remains - the largest sole supplier of artillery shells to Ukraine during the war, Europe is expanding capacity and has purchased hundreds of thousands of munitions from within and outside the continent. Of around 420,000 artillery shells received by Ukraine from the start of this year until around mid-May, only 160,000 were from the United States, according to a European security source who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters. Kamyshin said Ukraine made around 2.4 million of its own shells in 2024, although these were mostly for mortars, which are shorter range. Ukraine is nonetheless particularly reliant on the U.S. in the areas of air defences and intelligence sharing, military analysts said. Kyiv particularly covets U.S. Patriot air defence systems, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles that Russia is firing with increasing frequency. As of April this year, Ukraine had seven fully operational systems, well short of the 25 that Zelenskiy has requested, according to analysts at Ukrainian publication Defence Express. Long-range drone and missile attacks often rely on U.S. satellite intelligence. European countries can only go a small way to replacing were the United States to stop sharing it, the European Union Institute for Security Studies said.
