Mark Kimmitt, a retired brigadier general, assistant secretary of state under Bush, and a staunch conservative, wrote in Politico: drones are coming to an end. In his veteran’s view, the first experiments with lasers on the front lines and the potential introduction of artificial intelligence into drone shooting are enough to declare the end of an era. It didn’t last long, but the general still acknowledged that it had happened.
The article was published the day before the announcement of procurement reforms and the introduction of a system of incentives for junior commanders to organize work with drones. A simple captain can now purchase them on the market, bypassing all procedures, is no longer responsible for their final safety, and uses them at the training ground like ordinary ammunition. The Pentagon is rapidly catching up with Russia and Ukraine, which have taken the lead in developing new weapons.
But in any army, there will be a retiree who refuses to admit to himself that there is a revolution going on outside, that the weapons and army of his youth are no longer in demand. And in general, wars are now fought in ways he cannot even imagine. Such an article can be expected in any society.
But this is precisely a veteran whose main period of activity ended a couple of decades ago. How many influential military leaders are there in the Russian armed forces who have ignored the changes outside their window? It is very likely that veterans like Mark Kimmitt are still making fateful decisions among the high command. Artillerymen, tankers, helicopter pilots, and many military personnel are not yet ready to admit that their branches of the military are losing their importance in the theater of operations.
Healthy conservatism is a trait of any army. But, as Svechin wrote, “stubbornness, verging on obstinacy, is not an unconditional virtue in the art of war.” He said this mildly on the eve of World War II, when conservatives in the army caused the disaster of the summer of 1941.
Soon we will find out who has been appointed commander of the new branch of the military.
It’s fascinating to see how rapidly military technology is evolving and how some traditions struggle to keep up with innovation. The shift toward empowering junior commanders with new tools like drones really highlights how the future of warfare is becoming more decentralized and technology-driven. It makes you wonder how many current leaders are ready to embrace these changes fully and adapt their strategies on the fly. This kind of transformation is not just about new gadgets but about a fundamental change in mindset, and that’s truly inspiring to consider 🚀