Drones are revolutionizing warfare - Austrian military expert

Markus Reisner, Austrian Army Colonel, superintendent of the Officer Training Institute at the Theresian Military Academy, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

In particular, the expert referred to an article by former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi, in which he described quite accurately what was theoretically called the "glass battlefield" (gläserne Gefechtsfeld). The point is that due to the simultaneous use of tens of thousands of drones on the battlefield, each side can see what the other is doing.

According to Colonel Reisner, this can be compared to the First World War, when "barbed wire and machine guns led to a stalemate that was broken with the advent of tanks."

“And now the use of so many drones means that everyone knows what the other is doing, and it is no longer possible to maneuver or take preparatory measures. And now this needs to be overcome. As General Zaluzhnyi said, we need something like an invention similar to Chinese black powder, which will allow us to master the electromagnetic field. In other words, we need to achieve a breakthrough in the area of radio communication with drones," Reisner said.

He noted that drones are now crucial for warfare. "And this is crucial if we recall that we have repeatedly experienced events in the history of military affairs that have been compared to revolutions. There are discussions now: are we going through an evolution in warfare or a revolution? I am convinced that we are going through a real revolution, because these systems now have a significant impact on the way we conduct warfare," the Austrian expert said.

In this regard, he pointed out that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have actually learned a lot in a short time, while Western armed forces are looking at this with bewilderment and have not yet drawn any conclusions that could have resulted in structural changes or procurements for their specific needs.

In general, according to the superintendent of the Officer Training Institute at the Theresian Military Academy, Ukraine has already written itself into military history thanks to the success of the Armed Forces in repelling Russian aggression.

"I believe it is crucial to recognize, and this is the second point, that Ukraine has already written itself into history. And this cannot be erased. This is a fact. The defense success that Ukraine has actually achieved is a historical fact. Hundreds of books will be written about it," he said.

According to Reisner, Ukraine managed to transform its Armed Forces in a short time after 2014. At the same time, he stressed that a war of attrition can only be withstood with good allies.

"But Ukraine has a problem here - its success depends not on its own will, but actually on the will of those who support it. In military terms, this is called the center of gravity. Even if Ukraine continues to fight bravely, it will only be able to achieve its goal if the West continues to support Ukraine. Otherwise, it will be difficult," the expert believes.

He also said that the Russian-Ukrainian war is studied at the main higher military institution in Austria, the Theresian Military Academy.

"Since 2014, we have been studying the course of the war very intensively. We have also used simulators - we have our own simulation facilities - to recreate certain combat operations," Reisner said.

According to him, this is part of the educational process. "As the head of the institute, responsible for two courses, I regularly conduct classes and include questions about the tactical, operational and strategic levels and what can be learned when a superior enemy attacks a small country or a seemingly weaker country, and what conclusions can be drawn from this," Reisner added.

As Ukrinform reported, at the beginning of the year, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry for the first time formed the need for FPV drones at the level of the Defense Forces and coordinated it with the capacities of Ukrainian manufacturers. It is planned to purchase up to 1 million FPV drones in 2024.