Drone warfare is evolving faster than armies can adapt

Drone and robotic warfare is changing so quickly that military forces may have only weeks before an opponent develops a countermeasure. The rapid cycle, documented in Ukraine, is pushing NATO countries to rethink procurement and operational readiness, while raising concerns that international law is struggling to keep pace. At a NATO exercise in Latvia, an interceptor drone travelling up to 350 kilometres per hour destroyed a target drone, illustrating the capabilities now being marketed to military buyers. Latvian officials also face repeated drone incursions suspected to come from Russia and Belarus.

Experts argue that armed forces cannot simply stockpile today’s most effective equipment: software, communications and tactics can become outdated within six to eight weeks. Ukrainian troops have adapted quickly by working with developers, programming and 3D-printing drone modifications in the field. Their methods include detecting enemy drones by sound and using machine guns to shoot them down, until Russian aircraft began flying higher. Canada’s NATO brigade in Latvia is revising procurement to respond more flexibly, though its commander says it has not matched Ukraine’s adaptability. The shift extends beyond aerial drones to autonomous land and sea systems, including maritime platforms that can launch aircraft. Artificial intelligence is also enabling coordinated drone swarms, underscoring a transformation compared with the move from cavalry to tanks between the world wars.