[By Guancha Observer Network, Shao Yun]
Ukraine launched the "Spider Web" operation on the 1st, using drones to attack military bases in multiple Russian regions, destroying a number of Russian military aircraft, drawing international attention. An opinion column article in The New York Times on the 4th believes that this operation demonstrated the tactical prospects of low-cost technologies like drones on modern battlefields, serving as a warning for the U.S. military which is severely lagging behind in drone deployment.
"Ukraine's attacks exposed America's Achilles' heel," wrote WJ Henning (W.J. Hennigan), a reporter from The New York Times' opinion section on the 4th. He analyzed that faced with more and more "small, cheap, low-detectability" drones, America's existing high-cost defense systems appear powerless, posing threats to its military installations spread all over the world, including domestic bases, ports, command headquarters, etc.
The Ukrainian army claimed that the "Spider Web" operation destroyed or damaged more than 40 Russian strategic aircraft, while Russia accused them of exaggerating their achievements. Based on commercial satellite images using synthetic aperture radar (SAR), it was confirmed that the Russian military indeed lost at least 13 large aircraft, including 8 Tu-95 bombers, 4 Tu-22M3 bombers, and 1 transport aircraft.


Military aircraft status at the Irkutsk Bereya base in Russia before and after the Ukrainian attack
"What happens in Russia could also happen in the United States or anywhere else," Henning wrote. In his view, "it is almost certain" that this approach of using low-cost technology to strike high-value targets will inspire more "asymmetric attacks" in the future. Even for America, a stronger and wealthier side, a small drone swarm could breach ground defenses, instantly destroying billions of dollars worth of military equipment.
The article pointed out that since the Korean War, American pilots have basically controlled air superiority within their operational areas. However, in recent years, the U.S. military has increasingly faced threats from drones. For instance, in the Middle East, local armed groups have used drones much smaller than American military aircraft to drop improvised explosive devices on U.S. positions, causing casualties among U.S. personnel.
Henning said that although the U.S. possesses globally leading missile detection, tracking, and interception systems, its relevant technical and tactical developments against small drone threats have been largely ineffective. It is known that due to drones flying close to the ground without actively emitting signals, and existing military radar systems primarily designed to detect large aircraft, neither the "hard kill" strategy (such as directly shooting down drones) nor the "soft kill" method (such as electronic interference) has become a reliable solution so far.
Henning stated that this means that U.S. domestic military facilities may also face potential risks. According to data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the number of registered drones in the U.S. has exceeded one million, though most comply with regulations, unauthorized flights are increasing. The U.S. reports about 100 incidents per month of unauthorized drone sightings near airports. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, told Congress in February that last year there were over 350 recorded instances of drones flying over military facilities in the U.S.
It is worth noting that at the beginning of this century, the U.S. military was the first to deploy drones like "Predator" and "Reaper," initiating the "drone warfare era." Now, it is criticized for being slow in developing and applying new generations of unmanned technology. The article bluntly states that "many people within the Pentagon cannot help but notice the irony involved."
Currently, the U.S. Congress plans to allocate approximately $1.3 billion in this fiscal year for the Pentagon to develop and deploy counter-drone technology. Henning considers this "a good start," but he believes that the U.S. military's investment in countering drone threats is far from sufficient.
Last month, President Trump announced that the U.S. would spend $17.5 billion to build the "Golden Dome" missile defense system to "protect American territory from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, and drones." However, Henning noted that the planned "Golden Dome" system cannot defend against the small drones used by Ukraine in the "Spider Web" operation.
The article mentioned that the U.S. military had previously attempted to explore the effectiveness of unmanned combat systems, but the results were inconclusive. In August 2023, based on observations and analysis of the Ukraine crisis over more than a year, the Pentagon announced a drone plan called "Replicator," aiming to accelerate the deployment of drones and other autonomous systems within two years. However, since President Trump took office in January this year, the U.S. Department of Defense has hardly publicly mentioned the progress and specific content of this plan.
This article is an exclusive contribution by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7512453137026941467/
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