Russia’s invasion could return focus on armor and artillery, away from AI and robotics

PARIS — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may pressure governments with technologically superior militaries to reevaluate their investments in areas similar to robotics and synthetic intelligence, making a renaissance for spending on armor and artillery, a panel of navy leaders stated this week on the Eurosatory protection expo.

U.S. Military Maj. Gen. Matthew Van Wagenen, the deputy chief of employees for operations at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels, instructed attendees that Russia’s shelling and pressure to date in Ukraine may result in a higher give attention to “laborious energy.”

“Many fell asleep believing that the type of warfare that we’re seeing within the Ukraine proper now would by no means [have] occurred once more in Europe,” he stated. “And right here we’re in 2022, and attrition warfare is occurring in Western Europe once more. That is considerably totally different. And I feel what it’s going to pressure many governments to return and take a look at is: What are these investments in protection which have been made or have to be made?”

Van Wagenen stated some governments have come to consider they might “substitute laborious energy” for investments in cyber operations, digital warfare and robots. In consequence, they believed they might spend much less on gadgets similar to heavy artillery, armor and infantry, he added.

Whereas cyber operations, for instance, have performed a big position in a sequence of conflicts over the last decade, they haven’t gave the impression to be on the forefront of Russia’s technique in Ukraine.

“The specter of [electronic warfare], cyber … was no substitute for” the gathering of Russian troops and gear in Ukraine, he stated. “That is very important for offensive and defensive operations. So it’s instantly crucial. The variety of troopers you possibly can placed on a battlefield makes a distinction. … Attrition is as previous as warfare. It’s right here to remain most likely for the following 50-100 years, as a lot as we wish to want it away.”

His feedback have been echoed by Gen. Pierre-Joseph Givre, director of the French Military’s doctrine command.

“What’s decisive is while you take the initiative on the bottom,” he stated. “It’s not know-how, but it surely’s partly know-how. Significantly, it’s a mix, it’s the artwork of warfare.”

Givre stated whereas know-how can compensate for weaknesses, similar to an undermanned pressure, as was the case in the beginning of the battle in Ukraine on the entrance strains of the Donbas area, huge firepower can in the end make the distinction