Ukraine mixes ancient weapon with drone tech to take out Russian forces

[JACK AYLMER]

UKRAINE IS COMBINING ANCIENT AND MODERN WARFARE TACTICS IN ITS ONGOING CONFLICT WITH RUSSIA. UTILIZING ADVANCED DRONES FOR BOTH SURVEILLANCE AND TARGETED STRIKES, UKRAINIAN FORCES HAVE REINTRODUCED CALTROPS—A MEDIEVAL WEAPON—TO DISRUPT RUSSIAN OPERATIONS.

THESE SPIKED DEVICES, DROPPED FROM DRONES, ARE DESIGNED TO PUNCTURE THE TIRES OF RUSSIAN VEHICLES, IMMOBILIZING THEM AND MAKING THEM EASY TARGETS FOR SUBSEQUENT DRONE OR ARTILLERY ATTACKS. THIS TACTIC AIMS TO UNDERMINE RUSSIAN RESUPPLY EFFORTS AND OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES.

THE CONCEPT OF DRONE-DROPPED CALTROPS WAS FIRST PUBLICLY DEMONSTRATED BY A CHINESE COMPANY AT A MILITARY EXPO IN 2019 — AND IMAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA FROM 2022 SHOW LARGER, MANUALLY PLACED CALTROPS BEING USED ON THE GROUND IN UKRAINE.

HOWEVER, NEWER REPORTS FROM RUSSIAN SOURCES HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECTIVE USE OF SMALLER, DRONE-DROPPED CALTROPS THAT SCATTER ACROSS ROADS, CAUSING EXTENSIVE TIRE DAMAGE AND OPERATIONAL DISRUPTIONS TO MILITARY VEHICLES.

WHILE CALTROPS MAY NOT BE NEW, IT’S THE INTRODUCTION OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS GIVEN RISE TO THEIR EXTENSIVE USE. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO UKRAINES PRACTICE OF DROPPING LAND MINES FROM FPV DRONES.

TRADITIONALLY — CALTROPS MUCH LIKE LAND MINES — REQUIRED DIRECT CONTACT AND MANUAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE WEAPONS. NOW WITH THE INTEGRATION OF DRONES — UKRAINES TACTICS HAVE TRANSFORMED THEIR USE — ENABLING HANDS-FREE OPERATION.

UKRAINE CAN NOW PRECISELY TARGET RUSSIAN POSITIONS FROM THE AIR USING OLDER WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY.

THIS NOT ONLY INCREASES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CALTROPS BUT ALSO ALLOWS FOR THEIR USE IN MORE STRATEGIC AND LESS ACCESSIBLE LOCATIONS, MAXIMIZING THEIR DISRUPTIVE POTENTIAL ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

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