For the first time in a war that has lasted more than four years, Ukraine has captured the position of the Russian army through unmanned combat equipment – UAVs and ground robots. This was stated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. He said that the operation was carried out without the involvement of infantry, thus forcing the Russian army soldiers to surrender at the battle position without the Ukrainian army suffering any live casualties.
Drones, that is, unmanned aerial vehicles, have significantly changed the course of wars worldwide. It now turns out that robot fighters, that is, unmanned, remotely controlled devices on the ground are also being deployed on the battlefield.
Where does the joint participation of drones and robots lead future wars? Could future wars, like those seen in some sci-fi genre films, turn purely into military operations carried out by drones and robots together? Can the events occurring in Ukraine be viewed as a new call for every country, including Azerbaijan, to equip their arsenal not only with drones but also with unmanned combat equipment moving on the ground, robots?
Regarding the topic, Medianews.az talked to military expert Sakhavat Mammad, who said that the Russia-Ukraine war has led to very serious changes in the course of modern warfare: "In general, the philosophy of wars has changed. Ukraine continues its struggle against Russia with inexpensive drones. It turns out that nowadays it is possible to wage war with drones not only in the air but also on the ground. Related proposals were also made to Azerbaijan in due time. Because ground drones can reduce live casualties to zero. Therefore, I believe there is a great need for ground drones at this stage.
It is also worth mentioning humanoid robots manufactured in China, which have not been used in battles until now but are already known to exist. Recently, India released a video. The video shows humanoids at the border with China. Essentially, they have started using such devices to reduce live casualties to zero."
According to the military expert, history shows that although war is a bloody, painful process, it also plays a role in the development of technologies: "Wars are also viewed as a testing ground. Some technologies invented during wars are later applied in civilian life. For example, it is known that drones are used for mail and delivery purposes in China and many other countries. It is expected that new technological means used in future wars will also be integrated into civilian sectors. Past history is proof of this.
If we say that Azerbaijan laid the foundation of modern wars during the 44-day war in 2020, we would not be mistaken. Indeed, it was considered the first spark. The process of establishing communications and delivering strikes was carried out using drones produced by various countries. However, within a short period, wars have taken a new and different direction. Especially Ukraine’s military operations, steps taken regarding the improvement of anti-drone systems, and also Russia itself conducting various tests with ground drones indicate that the era and philosophy of war are rapidly changing. We must keep pace with these realities. Yes, we have experience using drones in war. Nevertheless, our country should seriously analyze the wars happening around the world and pay attention not only to flying but also to unmanned devices moving on the ground. The wars of the future will take place precisely in this form. The recent war by the USA and Israel against Iran showed that rockets are also extremely important. From this perspective, our country should simultaneously significantly increase the number of rocket launching systems."
Nailə Qasımova,
Medianews.az