Editorial 2 : Changing geometries of battlefield— from machine guns in WWI to the drones of today
Context
Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web may have redefined the battlefield and changed modern warfare.
The changing dynamic
- Instead of air raids or long-range missiles, Ukraine used around 150 cheap quadcopter drones—smuggled in and launched from inside shipping containers—to destroy Russian bombers deep inside Russian territory.
- This "Trojan Horse" attack exposed the vulnerability of even well-defended areas. This isn’t new. Armies have often failed to adapt quickly to technological change, often at great cost.
World War I : The Machine Gun era
- While artillery killed the most, it was the machine gun that shaped WWI strategy.
- Invented by Hiram Maxim in 1883, a single machine gun could hold off hundreds of soldiers.
- Once positioned along trenches, they made advances costly and slow, causing a stalemate and war of attrition. However, generals continued to rely on outdated tactics, resulting in massive casualties during frontal assaults.
- The machine gun “radically changed” military strategy. Most new weapons during WWI, like tanks and poison gas, were developed to overcome its dominance.
World War II: Mobility Takes Over
- In the 1930s, France built the Maginot Line—a massive fortified border—expecting trench-style warfare again.
- But Germany bypassed it by invading through Belgium using blitzkrieg tactics: fast Panzer tanks, motorised infantry, artillery, and aircraft. France collapsed within a month.
- Traditional warfare had been upended by fast, mobile strikes that targeted rear areas and used deep raids by paratroopers. The battlefield was no longer static; mobility became key.
Extending the Range of Warfare
- Earlier, most combat occurred at close range. Artillery was limited to about 25 km, and dogfights involved aircraft in close proximity.
- That changed on September 8, 1944, when a German V-2 rocket hit London—the first ballistic missile.
- It flew outside Earth’s atmosphere before curving back to strike. Over the following decades, missile technology advanced rapidly, with better targeting and remote strike capabilities.
- Missiles allowed countries to hit distant targets without risking pilots, unlike bombers.
- Drones were a natural next step. Controlled in real-time, they combined the flexibility of aircraft with reduced human risk. Unlike missiles, drones can loiter, choose their moment, and strike when most effective.
A New Chapter
- Until recently, drones had to be launched from friendly territory. Ukraine’s recent operation changed that. By using drones launched from inside Russia, they bypassed traditional air defence logic and reached targets once thought unreachable.
- This shift is significant. It shows that long-range strike capabilities are now within reach of not just powerful nations, but also smaller states and non-state actors.
- Retired Australian General Mick Ryan wrote that with a few million dollars almost every nation state or non-state actor can now strike faraway enemies using drones and digital tools.
Conclusion
From the trenches of WWI to the mobile warfare of WWII, and now to remote, low-cost drone strikes, the battlefield’s geometry continues to evolve. Ukraine’s operation may mark the beginning of a new era—where war can come from anywhere, even from within.