The Role Of Drones In Current And Future Warfare

By John Oncea, Editor

Drones have been used by the military for years and their use, as seen in the Ukraine war, is increasing. But just how are they being used, and how might they be used in the future?

It is almost impossible to escape RF as it is firmly entrenched in commercial, medical, and automotive technologies to name but a few. RF is also a critical application for the military where it is used in signal intelligence, electronic warfare, and electronic countermeasures.

“Surveillance drones are an example of electronic countermeasures that use radio frequency similar to the way it is used with radio-controlled toy cars,” writes EastTechJunkie. “Radar is a primitive example of signal intelligence using RF technologies, and remote sensors are examples of more modern signal intelligence applications.”

Drones are another RF-dependent technology used by the military as evidenced by the Ukraine war, during which both sides have used them for reconnaissance and to target artillery. Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., was a guest on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday and told host Scott Simon that drones a profoundly changing the ways that wars are being fought.

When asked to contrast the use of drones in the Ukraine war to their use in the U.S. on the war on terror, Grieco said when “most of us think about the global war on terror, we imagine the Predator or the Reaper drone. And those were very expensive military-grade aircraft that were fairly large drones that were used to strike terrorist leaders.

“What we're seeing in Ukraine is largely very different from that. We're seeing an explosion of drones used, primarily relying on cheap, small commercial aircraft to provide eyes on the battlefield. That's first and foremost how both sides are using them, is really for reconnaissance and to improve their ability to target artillery. But they've also been using them as well to strike.”

The use of drones represents an important change of approach to battle. “What we're seeing is this transition to much cheaper and more expendable technology,” said Grieco. “So, the kinds of drones that are being used, for the most part, cost a few thousand dollars. And according to some studies, the average drone lasts about three days on the battlefield and Ukraine is reportedly replacing them at a rate of about 5,000 to 10,000 a month. This is a very different model of drone warfare today.”

Grieco also said drones, first and foremost, are democratizing air power which has traditionally been the preserve of major militaries because of high hurdles in terms of science and technology and organization and finance. “But with this diffusion of commercial-grade drones, we're seeing that you can place those kinds of capabilities – the ability to operate in the sky, to spy from the sky, to drop munitions – in the hands of smaller to midsize militaries and, frankly, even individuals.”

Grieco thinks the use of drones is going to impact the way the U.S. military looks at its strategic options and initiatives as well, recalling a conversation with a U.S. Army officer and commander shortly after he had returned from the recapture of Mosul in 2017. During that campaign, the Islamic State for the first time had used cheap commercial quadcopters modified with grenades to attack command posts, and it had proved challenging.

“As he reflected on that, he said, ‘I've done five tours in Iraq and Afghanistan now, and I can tell you that war is chaos. I had to constantly look for the enemy in front of me and behind me and to my left and my right. This was the first time I ever had to look up at the sky.’ That's going to be the future for the U.S. military.”

Drones have already proven to be highly valuable in various operations and there are different types of drones for different purposes, including:

• The fixed-wing drone, which is the fastest military drone currently deployed worldwide. These drones are designed to take off and land like airplanes, using wings instead of rotors for lift.
• Single-rotor drones which look similar to helicopters and are more durable than other drones. While they can be more efficient than different types of drones, they require more maintenance.
• Multirotor drones which are the most straightforward option that provides the best control over positioning and framing. Because of this, they are the best choice for surveillance and reconnaissance.

“Since its first introduction to the military-industrial complex, drones have significantly changed defense and counterinsurgency operations,” writes ZenaDrone. “While the concept of an unmanned ground or aerial vehicle isn’t new, it certainly provides enormous advantages.”

Another type of drone that has become increasingly popular in recent years is the nano drone, according to Ts2 Space. “Their small size and maneuverability make them ideal for surveillance and reconnaissance operations, as well as precision strikes. Nano drones are being tested by the U.S. military for use in a variety of scenarios, including the ability to infiltrate enemy lines and provide real-time intelligence to commanders on the battlefield.”

Nano drones are incredibly tiny, measuring less than a centimeter and weighing less than a gram. They could potentially change the way soldiers gather and assess intelligence. Due to their small size and lightweight, they can be deployed without the fear of detection, which makes them perfect for intelligence gathering in enemy territory. They can fly through areas that are otherwise difficult to access and provide real-time data that can be used to plan missions.

The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) agrees drone technology will likely improve exponentially but add there’s a new technology that could make them more effective and deadly. “The U.S. Army must develop this technology for drones to operate on the wireless spectrum, allow drones to operate autonomously through charging loops, and let drones use the electromagnetic spectrum to keep them in flight indefinitely.”

That technology? Advanced semiconductors.

“Technological advances in the field of drones will require smaller, less expensive, more powerful, and more efficient technologies than today’s drone technology,” writes AUSA. “Experts are developing semiconductors of this sort at the University of Michigan by printing nanowires onto flexible substrates with graphene and other thin films.

“Because nanowires are considerably smaller than current electronics, they may be used to replace other semiconductor components. They perform at high speed; therefore, they might be utilized to replicate the functionality of contemporary wireless technology.”

When it comes to wireless communication devices, their power consumption and bandwidth are crucial. These factors determine how much information they can transmit or receive over a given period. In the case of operating a drone, the controller needs to be able to communicate with it without visual contact. To achieve this, the drone relies on wireless spectrum and radar technology to gather data beyond the range of human eyesight and detect potential threats.

AUSA writes that Global Energy Transmission Corp. “devised a way to utilize an electromagnetic field to keep drones in the air for an indefinite period, and the implications of the technology are hard to overstate. Global Energy Transmission has developed a method to generate a ‘power cloud’ that can charge a drone while it’s in flight.”

The power station on the ground consists of a wire frame in a circular shape. Once activated, it generates an electromagnetic field in the air surrounding the facility. A drone equipped with special antennae can enter the energy cloud's magnetic field to recharge. Several drones can be charged simultaneously within the perimeter, and the system is portable, making it easy to install and relocate.

For drones to fly indefinitely, they will require the ability to utilize the electromagnetic spectrum. This technology also enables the military to deploy drones for more extended periods for observation or detection. Predictions suggest that unmanned aircraft will be able to stay in the air perpetually using technology similar to the power cloud from Global Energy Transmission.

“The future of drones lies within the electromagnetic spectrum, which will enable them to fly for extended periods and provide more capabilities to sustainers on the battlefield,” AUSA writes. “The benefits are endless, and the Army will be able to use unmanned aircraft in innovative ways to take care of soldiers on the battlefield.”