Lessons from Ukraine: Do Traditional Platforms Still Matter? Plus

On 09 August, the Ukrainian government reported that its security forces used a first-person-view (FPV) drone to target, attack, and destroy a flying Russian Mi-28 attack helicopter. This is the second reported use of a FPV drone against a helicopter, with the first purportedly being used on a Russian Mi-8 transport or utility helicopter.

Throughout the course of the Russia-Ukraine War, headlines have repeatedly painted the narrative that specific weapon types – especially loitering munitions and guided artillery – are displacing more traditional armaments, such as main battle tanks (MBT), infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), and attack helicopters.

However, the reality of the situation is more nuanced. Analysts, for example, have pegged the majority of Russia’s armour losses to inadequate preparation, planning, and execution more so than solely a shift in technology. For example, in the earlier stages of the war, Russian armoured units were told to advance in the absence of sufficient artillery, electronic warfare (EW), and air defence coverage. Thus, these Russian columns were left exposed, giving Ukraine an advantage.

The counterpoint to this argument would be that the new technology enabled Ukraine to quickly exploit the gaps in Russia’s strategy, perhaps more quickly than had it solely relied on traditional weapon systems or methods. Thus, there is no doubt that loitering munitions, guided surface-to-surface missiles (SSM), advanced surface-to-air missiles (SAM), and drones have cemented their respective positions in military arsenals.

The real question is whether these systems have displaced the importance of traditional weapons, such as MBTs, among others.

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The lesson for other countries could be to invest in attack helicopters with reinforced armour protection, integrated electronic countermeasures (ECM) suites, and compatibility with long-range/stand-off range air-to-surface munitions, including miniature air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM).