Here’s how NATO will support Ukraine in the drone war with Russia
“A group of allies is coming together, with the aim of delivering one million drones to Ukraine,” announced NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Evidence of the crucial role that such devices play in the modern conduct of warfare. The article by Giuseppe Gagliano
Some NATO member countries have announced their intention to equip Ukraine with an impressive quantity of drones, around one million, as well as the creation of a training center and a demining initiative, according to ministers of the defense of the Atlantic Alliance.
ONE MILLION DRONES FOR UKRAINE
During a press conference held in Brussels on February 15, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg revealed the existence of a plan by some allies to equip Ukraine with one million drones, in order to satisfy the urgent demand posed by the current war scenario. Despite this, no details were provided on the delivery schedule or the identity of the supplier countries, as indicated by Anadolu Agency.
A UKRAINIAN TRAINING CENTER UNDER THE AEGIS OF NATO
Stoltenberg also announced that a group of twenty nations of the alliance have committed to forming a mine-clearing coalition to protect the Ukrainian population and to establishing a new joint NATO-Ukraine training and analysis center, which will be hosted in Poland. This information comes after advance reports from the newspaper El Pais , which had previously reported the location of the training center in Ukraine, under the auspices of NATO.
KIEV'S NEEDS
On February 14, at a meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group “Ramstein”, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov emphasized the importance of increasing production and accelerating deliveries, with a particular focus on drones and air defense systems.
Previously, the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation had assessed President Volodymyr Zelensky's goal of producing one million drones by 2024 as achievable. Already on November 6, the director of Ukroboronprom, the state military company of Ukraine, German Smetanin , had announced the start of mass production of drones similar to the Iranian Shahed models, used extensively by Russia in the conflict. Smetanin then highlighted the differences between the Ukrainian project and the Shahed drone, assuring that Ukraine is not limited to replicating these models but is developing advanced versions.
THE SHAHED DRONES USED BY MOSCOW
Shahed drones, known in Russia as the Geran-2, have been employed by Russia in military action since last year. Initially, Iran denied having supplied such drones to Moscow, later admitting the delivery of a limited quantity before February 24, 2022, the date of the start of the Russian offensive on Ukraine. These drones were assembled in Yelabuga in 2023, and the Washington Post revealed that Russia and Iran had signed an agreement to produce 6,000 Iranian drones in Russia's Tatarstan region.
THE ROLE OF UAVS IN THE CONFLICT
Amid the conflict with Russia, Ukraine has significantly expanded its military industry, prioritizing the development of drones, which have taken on a critical role in the ongoing war. This strategy has also inspired Taiwan to boost its drone sector in anticipation of a future confrontation with China. Kiev's armed forces regularly use these devices to conduct operations on Russian soil, although many are intercepted by Russian defenses, designed to counter larger threats, such as missiles. However, thanks to their small size, drones are more easily able to overcome defenses and infiltrate enemy territory. Kiev has declared its intention to invest significantly in the domestic production of drones, announcing a commitment of 40 billion, equivalent to around 1 billion dollars, dedicated exclusively to this purpose.
TAIWAN FOLLOWS THE UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE
This emphasizes the crucial role that these devices play in the modern conduct of warfare, where advanced surveillance capabilities, precision in shots and operational flexibility have become crucial aspects.
In parallel, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense confirmed its plan to accelerate the development of military drones, reflecting a similar strategic vision and highlighting the critical importance of this technology in strengthening its defenses in the face of future threats. Ukraine's experience in the current conflict has illustrated the effectiveness of drones not only for reconnaissance tasks but also as offensive tools capable of evading enemy defenses and providing decisive support in military operations.
These developments highlight a worldwide trend towards the integration of advanced technologies into the theater of war, with a particular focus on the production and use of drones. With the support of the international community, Ukraine aspires to overcome the challenges imposed by the ongoing conflict, while other nations watch and learn, adapting their defense strategies in an era increasingly dominated by technology and global interconnectedness.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/innovazione/ecco-come-la-nato-sosterra-lucraina-nella-guerra-dei-droni-con-la-russia/ on Mon, 19 Feb 2024 10:58:47 +0000.