Ukraine War May Turn on Which Country Has Best Drones

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Ukraine War May Turn on Which Country Has Best Drones

Military experts say drones have influenced the war between Russia and Ukraine more than in any other military conflict.

The pilotless aircraft first started to be used in war about 20 years ago. That was when American soldiers first fired on Taliban leaders in Afghanistan.

In the war between Russia and Ukraine, experts say the nation with the strongest drones will likely be in a good position.

Fighting started in late February. After about five months, the drone fleets on both sides are depleted². As a result, the nations are looking for replacements³.

Drones are in demand

Ukraine is looking for supplies from NATO.

A recent report from the administration of American President Joe Biden said Russia is hoping to buy "up to several hundred" drones from Iran. The Iranian drones have gotten past air defense⁴ systems supplied by the U.S. Those defenses are currently used by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Samuel Bendett is with the security research group CNA.

He said Ukrainians are looking for drones that can strike distant Russian forces. He said the Russians want Iranian drones because of their "proven track record."

Both sides are still trying to buy the kinds of drones available to the public then update them for fighting.

Yuri Shchygol is a Ukrainian government spokesperson. He recently called the need for the new drones "immense." He said his country is trying to purchase 200 drones from NATO. But it needs 10 times more than that, he said.

Ukrainian fighters say they do not have enough military drones with technology to prevent Russian interference.

Bendett said the Russians are getting better at defending their drones. Fewer are being shot down compared to the early days of the war. He said the Ukrainians "are on the ropes."

It is unlikely the world will hear more stories of civilian⁵ drone operators aiding the war effort. In the early days of fighting, a teenage Ukrainian boy and his father used a drone to find a long line of Russian military vehicles heading toward Kyiv. They sent the information to the Ukrainian military which launched a successful attack.

Now, the Russian military has created a stronger air defense system in eastern Ukraine. That is preventing the Ukrainian military from using Turkish-made drones for bomb attacks. The Turkish drones had been successful early in the war.

Replacing losses

Ukraine said it needs drones to fly into Russian-occupied areas to find targets for its Western-made long-range weapons. In June, an adviser⁶ to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country has a long list of needs, including 1,000 drones to end the war.

On the other side of the conflict, Russian leaders are also asking for more drones. Yuri Borisov is a Russian deputy prime minister who oversees⁷ weapons production. He said more are being made, but "it can't be done instantaneously."

Bendett said although Russia has lost about 50 of its most common drones, it still has many more remaining.

But in the war, nothing lasts long. An earlier story by the Associated Press noted⁸ that Spain sent 200 tons of military aid to Ukraine in June. Soldiers said the shipment only included enough ammunition⁹ for about two hours of fighting.

A report from the British military research organization RUSI said a Ukrainian drone lasts for about one week before being shot down or made unusable.

The drones are valuable because they can help Ukrainian weapons hit Russian targets. But in order to find the targets, the drone operators have to cross into Russian territory. That is risky¹⁰.

‘Millions of drones that can't be defeated'

Ukrainian fighters are also using "kamikaze" drones sent from Western nations. They carry warheads that can go through the outer skin of a tank. But those drones can only fly for 40 minutes.

Other drones being sent to Ukraine include Phoenix¹¹ Ghosts made by Aevex Aerospace¹² in California. The U.S. purchased over 100 for Ukraine in May. Those drones can fly for six hours, can identify targets at night and may be able to hit Russian command posts and armored vehicles.

Another drone, called Furia, is made in Ukraine. They are used to look for targets. They cost about $25,000 each. Only about 30 percent of Ukraine's 200 Furia drones remain from purchases starting in 2014. The chief of Athlon Avia, which makes the Furias, said production is starting again but that more help is needed from outside of the country.

Neither Ukraine, nor the U.S. would comment about the drone needs. Shchygol, however, said Ukraine prefers the "kamikazes" and others capable of getting through Russian defenses.

When drone warfare¹³ started over 20 years ago, the technology was so new, most countries did not have good defense systems in place. But over time, that changed. Now, anti-drone systems can identify drones from radio signals and decide the best way to take them down.

At least one expert is concerned about how the technology is progressing.

Thorsten Chmielus leads Aronia, a technology company in Germany that helps make drones. He worries that if the drones have too much success in Ukraine, "everybody will have millions of drones that can't be defeated."

Words in This Story

fleet– n. a group of ships or vehicles, such as the ships in a navy or trucks earned by a delivery company

deplete¹ –v. to run out of something, such as a supply of ammunition

immense –adj. very great size or amount

on the ropes – phrase. used to describe a person or a thing that is getting tired or close to being defeated

convoy¹⁴ –n. a long line of vehicles traveling close together

kamikaze –adj. used to describe a style of attack popularized by a group of pilots who would crash their airplanes into targets during World War II

1 deplete   

v.弄空，排除，减轻，减少...体液，放去...的血

参考例句：

• Most native mammal species have been severely depleted.大多数本地哺乳动物的数量都已经大大减少了。
• Elastic collisions deplete very little of the electron's energy.弹性碰撞中电子减少的能量非常少。

2 depleted   

adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Food supplies were severely depleted. 食物供应已严重不足。
• Both teams were severely depleted by injuries. 两个队都因队员受伤而实力大减。

3 replacements   

n.代替( replacement的名词复数 )；替换的人[物]；替代品；归还

参考例句：

• They infiltrated behind the lines so as to annoy the emery replacements. 他们渗透敌后以便骚扰敌军的调度。 来自辞典例句
• For oil replacements, cheap suddenly looks less of a problem. 对于石油的替代品来说，价格变得无足轻重了。 来自互联网

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

7 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

10 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

11 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

12 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

13 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

14 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。