Drone Involvement in Armed Conflicts
This article will focus on the use of drones in contemporary conflicts where their extensive deployment plays a significant role in warfare. The conflicts include the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
Types of Drones
There are multiple types of drones that are used in the aforementioned conflicts. To prevent any confusion, this article will refer to the larger, aircraft-sized drone as a UAV, while the smaller and more compact drones will simply be called drones.
Pseudo-Target UAV
Pseudo-Target UAVs are obsolete aircraft repurposed as unmanned aerial vehicles for target and gunnery purposes. They are sometimes intentionally flown to draw fire from the enemy, thereby exposing their air defense positions. Examples of Pseudo-Target UAVs include the Antonov An-2 “Colt” and the General Dynamics QF-16 “Zombie Viper.”
HALE UAV
HALE stands for High-Altitude Long-Endurance, indicating that this type of UAV operates at high altitudes with long flight endurance. HALE UAVs primarily serve the role of reconnaissance, utilizing sensor suites such as Synthetic-Aperture Radar (SAR), Electro-Optical Systems (EOS), and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) suites. An example of a HALE UAV is the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk.
MALE UAV
MALE stands for Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance. A MALE UAV operates at a much lower altitude than an HALE UAV. MALE UAVs primarily serve the role of battlefield monitoring and can also deliver air-to-ground strike packages. Examples of MALE UAVs include the Baykar Bayraktar TB2, General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, and Kronshtadt Orion.
Expendable Reconnaissance UAV
The Expendable Reconnaissance UAV has its design based on a cruise missile, equipped with an aircraft jet engine, and is launched from a mobile launcher using rocket boosters (RATO; Rocket-assisted Take-off). It is also fitted with a range of reconnaissance suites that can be detached mid-air and recovered using parachutes. Due to its small profile, high speed, and terrain-following flight profile, it has, at times, been modified to function as a pseudo-cruise missile by replacing its electronics suite inside its reconnaissance bay with explosives. Examples of Expendable Reconnaissance UAVs include the Tupolev Tu-141 “Strizh” and the Tupolev Tu-143 “Reys.”
Loitering Munition
A loitering munition, often referred to as a Kamikaze or Suicide Drone, is a type of drone with the primary purpose of approaching an enemy target and exploding upon impact. It possesses the ability to linger or loiter in a specified target area while awaiting confirmation for engagement, thus justifying its name. Examples of Loitering Munitions include HESA Shahed 136, ZALA Lancet, IAI Harop, and AeroVironment Switchblade.
FPV Suicide Drone
Suicide FPV Drones are repurposed heavy-duty commercial FPV drones modified to carry an explosive ordnance package or an RPG warhead. They are employed to fly directly into enemy vehicles or personnel, serving as a targeted means of attack or engagement.
Payload Dropping Drones
Payload-dropping drones are commercial drones with payload-dropping capability that have been repurposed to carry various payloads, including explosive ordnance, mortar warheads, grenades, pamphlets, medical aid, or written orders, depending on the specific mission or objective. Initially, most of these drones do not have the capability of payload dropping. However, they are modified in the field to acquire this capability.
MAV/SUAV
MAV, which stands for Micro Air Vehicle or is also known as SUAV (Small UAV), typically refers to repurposed recreational commercial drones equipped with a three-axis stabilized camera. Their primary roles include battlefield monitoring, search and rescue of friendly personnel, unit coordination, and other similar tasks. In certain situations, they maybe fitted with a pseudo-payload-dropping mechanism to serve various mission requirements.
How Are They Used?
Second Nagorno-Karabakh War 2020
SEAD Mission
SEAD stands for Suppression of Enemy Air Defense. Azerbaijan managed to gain air superiority during the war pretty much unopposed largely in part to the SEAD mission using UAV. During the war, Azerbaijan would fly the obsolete biplane transport aircraft, Antonov An-2 “Colt”, that has been repurposed into Pseudo-Target UAV. Into the Armenian-controlled territory. These “Colts” would be detected by the Armenian air defense system, and naturally the Armenian would shoot down the “Colts”. The shot down process would be closely observed by the Azerbaijani, either through a MAV or forward observer personnel. The trails from the missiles that were launched or tracer rounds that are used to shoot down the “Colts” would then be traced to its site of launch. The site of launch would then be geolocated and get their coordinates marked. After that, the Azerbaijani would send a IAI Harop loitering munition or an artillery strike to that location. This method of SEAD without involving any manned aircraft resulted in the destruction of 60 Armenian air defense systems.
CAS Mission
CAS stands for Combat Air Support. It’s a mission where aircraft deliver air strike packages in order to support ground troops maneuver and movement. CAS missions using drones are usually conducted after SEAD missions that have successfully disabled the enemy air defense.
The absence of the enemy air defenses due to the previous SEAD missions resulting in a free airspace. It enables Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) UAVs, such as the well-known Bayraktar TB2, to conduct Close Air Support missions with minimal opposition and increased operational freedom. Without opposition, MALE UAV can effectively destroys enemy positions using air-to-ground missiles while simultaneously providing target location data for subsequent attacks. The targets of MALE UAV varied in range, such as tanks, logistical vehicle, group of individual soldiers.
Russo-Ukrainian War
Anti-Armor Mission
Anti-armor mission on the Ukrainian side of Russo-Ukrainian War initially conducted by MALE UAV, namely Bayraktar TB2. However, due to the complex Russian integrated air defense system (IADS) that consisted of several layers of surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and the inability of the Ukrainian Air Force to conduct SEAD mission, MALE UAV are regularly shot down and anti-armor missions are diverted to other type of UAVs later in war. The role of MALE UAV on anti-armor missions is replaced by a combined effort between MAV and Suicide FPV drones. Small and hard-to-detect MAV, some even equipped with forward-looking infra-red (FLIR)/thermal camera, scour the battlefield searching for Russian armors and vehicle. If a MAV spots an enemy armor movement, it will mark the coordinates and coordinate with other units equipped with suicide FPV drones. The FPV drones then would come to the location and eliminate the enemy armor by ramming itself to the enemy. The anti-armor missions often expanded to destroy other targets, such as fortifications, soft-shelled vehicles such as jeeps and vans, or even a concentration of enemy soldiers.
Long-Range Strike
Long-range loitering munitions are employed to carry out precision strikes on enemy infrastructure deep within their territory, such as headquarters, motor pools, railway intersections, bridges, or ammo dumps, causing substantial damage and disruption. This mission is usually conducted using expendable reconnaissance UAVs, such as the Tu-141 Strizh, that were repurposed into a cruise missile by changing their payload into an explosive package.
2023 Hamas-Israeli War
Anti-Armor Mission
In the 2023 Hamas-Israeli War, Hamas employed payload-dropping drones as an anti-armor measure. Early on the Hamas attack on the Israeli territory, payload dropping drones were used to drop explosive and grenades on Israeli Merkava tanks and static remote-controlled weapon stations (RCWS) emplacement placed around the Gaza Strip.
Drone Impact on Armed Conflicts
Cheap Force Multiplier
In Ukraine, a $200 drone, armed with an improvised warhead, can effectively destroy a tank that costs $6.79 million per unit. Traditionally, accomplishing this task would involve using an anti-tank missile, which typically costs around $178,000 per missile. The presence of these drones enables militaries that previously lack of anti-tank measure from stand-off range due to limited budget with a solution and strengthen their soldiers on the battlefield against armor attack.
Better RSTA
RSTA stands for Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition. MAVs can conduct reconnaissance missions in high-threat areas where aircraft or helicopters cannot operate effectively due to their low Radar Cross-Section (RCS) and minimal noise emissions. Due to this, frontline commanders will have better situational awareness on the battlefield. This information can be used to make tactical decisions vital to the outcome of a battle. Previously, the commander’s knowledge of the battlefield would be hindered by the fog of war, and reliance on armored vehicles or recon parties with only a limited view on the battlefield was necessary.
Changes How Warfare Works
Due to the increasing presence of drones on the worldwide battlefield, frontline soldiers must maintain constant concealment to avoid detection by reconnaissance drones. Furthermore, to protect tanks from drone attacks, an adaptation kit widely referred to as the “cope cage” is considered essential. Additionally, there is a growing requirement for an integrated electronic warfare (EW) system to effectively counter drone threats.
About the Author:
Djoko Bayu Murtie is currently pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering at Institut Teknologi Bandung, showcasing a strong foundation in both engineering and innovation. Formerly a Naval Architecture student at University of Diponegoro, Djoko brings a diverse educational background to his current academic pursuits.
Djoko’s expertise in aerospace engineering was underscored by his remarkable achievement in the 2023 Indonesian national-wide UAV design competition. He secured the second place, showcasing his proficiency in airframe development technology.
In addition to his academic pursuits, Djoko actively contributes to the field as the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Director of Aksantara ITB, a student unit dedicated to designing and innovating UAVs. He has previously served as the Chief Executive Director for the airframe technology development team at Aksantara ITB, where he played a pivotal role in steering the team towards success.
With a solid background in aerospace engineering and three years of experience as an Aerodynamics and Mechanical Design Engineer at Aksantara ITB, Djoko is deeply committed to advancing the field through hands-on expertise and innovation.
