Front Burner Cheap and deadly: How drones are reshaping war
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Jun 6, 2025 Josh Schwartz, an assistant professor of international relations at Carnegie Mellon University and a noted expert on drone warfare, discusses the innovative impact of drones in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. He highlights how cheap, commercially available drones are changing military tactics and strategies, rendering traditional military assets less effective. Schwartz also addresses the global implications of drone production, touching on countries like Turkey and Iran, and the potential risks of widespread drone accessibility, including misuse by non-state actors.
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Drones Shift War Economics
- Drones, costing thousands, can destroy assets worth hundreds of millions, shifting warfare economics.
- In the Russia-Ukraine war, drones cause about 70% of casualties, surpassing traditional forces combined.
Two Main Drone Battlefield Roles
- Drones serve mainly as intelligence observers and strike weapons on battlefields.
- Both sides direct forces more accurately and launch suicide drones in conflicts like Ukraine-Russia.
Drone Attacks Harden Resolve
- Russia uses drones similarly to Ukraine but also targets civilian zones repeatedly.
- These attacks, though tactically precise, harden Ukrainian resolve and backfire strategically for Russia.