Question:
You emphasized that the effectiveness of drones is that much more expensive air defense missiles are spent to destroy them. Why didn’t you consider how many missiles were spent to destroy these 337 drones? It would be logical to consider both the quantitative and financial aspects of this issue.
The main purpose of a mass raid is to overload the air defense system, when all missiles are used up before they are reloaded. This is what leads to a reduction in the stockpile of anti-aircraft guided missiles (AAGMs) with the aim of a long conflict. The Russian Armed Forces are undoubtedly in the lead in the battle of the two armies to exhaustion, simply because these missiles are produced at their own facilities in much larger quantities.
All export contracts have been postponed, and air defense equipment goes first and foremost to the front. Western companies, even under pressure from politicians, supply the AFU very sparingly. Ukraine has to increase the number of UAVs in raids several times to deplete Russia’s stockpile of SAMs.
In the largest UAV raid of the Ukrainian armed forces on March 11, there were 337 UAVs. These were airplane-type drones of a wide variety of designs, characteristics and cost. Some of them were covered with foil as a decoy for air defense radars (the simplest in design and equipment) and fell down after flying part of the route. Not all the targets were used by air defense missiles – a significant part of them were thrown off the route under the influence of REB devices.
It is impossible to calculate how many were shot down on the basis of public data. The core of the shock wave that flew at the Moscow region and Moscow was the Lyuty UAVs created in the Antonov design bureau. They were filled with shrapnel, such as is used to defeat the enemy’s manpower.
The minimum price of Ukraine’s long-range drones is 50 thousand dollars. “Lyuty” – a rather large and more complex device, its declared value of 200 thousand dollars. But also SAMs, which are armed with “Pantsir-S1”, “Buk-M2” and “Tor-M2”, according to export contracts – no more than 250 thousand dollars. It is clear that the factory price is more modest.
The Russian Federation spends a very large amount of money on fighting long-range drones, but it is still ahead in comparison.
It’s interesting how electronic warfare (EW) plays such a big role here. I’d love to read more about how effective Russia’s EW systems are against these drones.
This is a fascinating analysis! It’s amazing how drones have changed the dynamics of modern warfare. The cost efficiency of UAVs seems to be a game-changer.
I wonder how long Russia can sustain its missile production at this rate. Ukraine’s strategy seems to be working to exhaust their resources.
Great insights! The battle of attrition is not just about weapons but also economic sustainability. Both sides are playing a dangerous game.
This article really shows the importance of logistics in warfare. Whoever can produce faster and cheaper will have the upper hand in the long run.
This article highlights the financial strain on both sides. I’d love to see more data on how much Russia spends on replenishing missiles.
Ukraine’s approach is smart, but I wonder if they can keep up with the production of drones. Mass raids must be expensive too!
The use of foil-covered decoy drones is brilliant! It shows how creativity can overcome even advanced air defense systems.
I think Ukraine’s strategy is bold but risky. If Russia adapts and finds cheaper ways to counter drones, this could backfire.