The smoke of the Russia-Ukraine war has not yet dissipated, but it has already profoundly changed the face of modern warfare. The widespread application of cheap drones has put the army model centered on heavy equipment in an unprecedented survival crisis. Therefore, the US Army, having reflected deeply on its pain, announced the elimination of a series of traditional equipment including the M-10 light tank, Humvee military vehicles, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle JLTV, MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone, and even the AH-64D Apache attack helicopter, attempting to accelerate the reform of drone warfare.
The weaknesses of traditional army equipment are exposed under the eyes of drones. Tanks and armored vehicles, despite their thick armor, are difficult to conceal their movements under the high-altitude reconnaissance and precise strikes of drones, and their maneuverability is insufficient to avoid attacks. Armed helicopters like the AH-64D Apache, although powerful in firepower, are limited by their high maintenance costs and reliance on logistics support, making them seem powerless when facing saturation attacks from drone swarms. Large drones such as the MQ-1C Gray Eagle have extremely low battlefield survivability, with high costs and easily being interfered with by electronic warfare, far less flexible and efficient than cheap drones.
Deeper issues lie in the fact that the design concept of traditional army equipment originated from the Cold War era, emphasizing frontal engagements and high-intensity confrontations. However, the form of modern warfare has fundamentally changed. Drones have completely altered the pace and rules of the battlefield with their low-cost and highly efficient ways of delivering firepower and gathering intelligence, downgrading these capabilities to individual soldiers or small units. The heavy equipment system that the US Army once took pride in appears cumbersome and outdated under this new model.
Globally, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has taken the lead in integrating unmanned and manned equipment. Not only has the PLA massively equipped various types of drones, but it has also deeply integrated drones with traditional equipment through systematic modifications. For example, the PLA's tank and armored vehicle units have begun to be equipped with small reconnaissance drones for real-time battlefield perception; infantry units widely use FPV drones to coordinate operations with traditional firepower. More importantly, the PLA has achieved comprehensive coordination from individual soldiers to command centers by building a "networked combat system" that seamlessly connects drones, electronic warfare equipment, and manned platforms.
The success of the PLA is due to its top-level design and long-term planning. Over ten years ago, the PLA began exploring the systemic application of unmanned equipment and continuously verified the feasibility of the unmanned-manned combat mode in exercises. At the same time, the PLA's investments in artificial intelligence, 5G communication, and electronic warfare technology provided a solid technical foundation for its unmanned combat system. Coupled with China's most complete low-cost drone industry chain, it has the material foundation and technological potential for the comprehensive popularization of unmanned equipment. This systematic and holistic reform path has given the PLA an advantage in the transformation of modern warfare.
The lessons of the Russia-Ukraine war have made the US Army realize clearly that drones have completely changed the mode of ground warfare. The reform plan announced by US Defense Secretary Higgenbotham can be regarded as the boldest transformation attempt in recent years for the US Army. The US Army plans to equip each infantry division with 1000 drones, develop combat forces centered on drones, electronic warfare, and small infantry vehicles, and utilize internet technology to create a more dispersed and precise battlefield network. To achieve this, the US Army is closely cooperating with the Ukrainian military and its military contractors to learn practical experience in Ukraine's drone warfare.
However, Ukraine's success largely stems from its "forced innovation" during the war. Its drone warfare system is more of a temporary patchwork, lacking long-term planning and systematic integration. If the US Army wants to truly replicate or even surpass Ukraine's achievements, it must undergo comprehensive changes in technology, organization, and culture, which will inevitably encounter resistance.
Firstly, the elimination of traditional equipment will directly impact America's vast military-industrial complex. The production of tanks, armored vehicles, and armed helicopters involves numerous interest groups with strong lobbying power in Congress and within the military. Canceling related projects may trigger intense political battles. Secondly, the organizational structure and combat concepts of the US Army are deeply entrenched, long centered around heavy equipment and large-scale joint operations. Transforming into a model mainly based on drones and decentralized operations requires thoroughly reshaping the training system and command chains, posing a significant challenge to the adaptability of the US Army.
In addition, the US Army faces bottlenecks in technology. Ukraine's drone warfare heavily relies on commercial technology, whereas the US Army, out of security considerations, tends to develop specialized military drones, which undoubtedly increases costs and development cycles. Meanwhile, how the US Army can quickly build an efficient unmanned-manned combat system is a race against time in terms of technology and reality.
In general, the impressive performance of drones has sounded the death knell for traditional army equipment. The PLA's systematic exploration in integrating unmanned and manned equipment provides a more inspiring paradigm for the transformation of modern armies. Whether the US Army's reforms can succeed not only concerns its own combat effectiveness but will also influence the future direction of the global military landscape.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7502007687459111460/
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