DJI v. Tank
So my buddy and I were reflecting on the Global War on Terror (GWOT) compared to the warfare in Ukraine. And we both agree, we would take GWOT conditions (we both served in Afghanistan at different times) vs. the madness that is Ukraine v. Russia.
First off…drones. Their innovative use of drones on both sides is crazy. There is a great video that was done by the Daily Mail (https://youtu.be/wXE2Pg9CSSA?si=RMp1rJOshbOsN6r-). In this video they go over “The Terrifying Reality of Drone Warfare in Ukraine”.
And it is indeed terrifying. Don’t get me wrong, when those first few rockets get lobbed over your walls on the crap FOB or Camp that you are stuck at, its pretty scary. You get used to it, but that terror that I felt when I heard the alarms of “Incoming! Incoming! Incoming!” had me turning white. I did eventually get over it. Those rockets were no fun, but they were not accurate, and once fired, there were no adjustments that the enemy could make to correct where it hits. That is not the case with drone warfare.
First off, these things can be strapped with explosives. Ani-tank explosives strapped to drones have been widely used on both sides. And yes they are effective. A DJI (About $2,000 on the top end) can take down an M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (Abrams). The Abrams is worth millions. Honestly, its a true “David and Goliath” story. These tiny, inexpensive, things are going toe-to-toe with a multi million dollar death machine. What was once feared by all on the battlefields of Iraq, is now getting trolled by gamers and former travel agents from miles away. What a shift.
In the video, it shows the devastation the drones can have on the battlefield outside of taking out tanks. They are widely used for reconnaissance missions and fire support missions (helping artillery find and hit targets). We have footage showing up on X.com showing drones strapped with thermite lighting and melting away infantry fighting positions.
When my boy and I were in Afghanistan, we did not really need to worry about those. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t like we were safe, but rather the threats we dealt with were more “analog” per say. The Taliban were great warriors (might piss off some GWOT vets with that statement) and they showed true ingenuity in the way they adapted to fighting the USA and coalition forces. They would find simple, low tech solutions that would have devastating effects against us. They would put on their “Man-Jammies” and sandals, grab their AK and go pick fights with us. Don’t get me wrong, they usually lost every engagement against us, doesn’t mean they didn't put up a good fight. However, at no point did we need to worry about drones, or really have to watch the skies. The soldiers and fighters in Ukraine do. And my buddy and I both agree “F**K THAT SH*T!”.
Hard pass on that type of combat. I’ll fight Taliban and insurgents all day long (in my airconditioned office, next to the mortar pit, with a snack and my Microsoft PowerPoint) all day long. Because in a fight like Ukraine, the enemy can fly their little drone into my office and mess up the hours of work perfecting my slide decks, before I would even get a chance to hit “ctrl+S”.
Stay frosty,
AP1984
