Ukraine war a lethal mix of killer tech old and new

When it comes to technology, the war in Ukraine is a war of juxtapositions. On the one hand, this is the first major war in which a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) — or drones — have played such a prominent role.

On the other hand, this new technology has played a major part in forcing infantry to dig lines of trenches reminiscent of the First and Second World Wars.

Some of the technology in the war in Ukraine, such as the guided missiles being used by both sides, isn’t fundamentally all that new. Modern guided missiles trace their origin back to early developments during the latter part of the Second World War.

Modern precision-guided weapons may be increasingly accurate in hitting their targets, but there is all too often considerable human error in allocating targets for them.

What is new in the war in Ukraine is that it isn’t like many of the “small wars” of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, in which one side had an almost overwhelming technological advantage.

The Taliban in Afghanistan didn’t have access to satellite imaging, large drones and precision-guided munitions, or even weapons to counter these, so they had to fight an “unconventional” or “asymmetrical” war.

In the war in Ukraine, both sides have access to and are developing new and not-so-new technologies, with neither side having an overall technological edge.

Drones and warfare

Large drones have been in use in war for a number of years now. The United States in particular made heavy use of large drones such as the Reaper in Afghanistan, both for reconnaissance and targeted killings. Russia made use of large drones for reconnaissance in Syria when its forces were supporting the Assad government there.

What is different in the war in