Kathrine Frich
The war in Ukraine is reshaping how modern warfare is understood.
According to analysts writing in Foreign Affairs, the conflict is exposing weaknesses in traditional military thinking and highlighting the growing power of cheaper, rapidly produced systems.
War Of Past And Future
Experts describe the war as “simultaneously a war of the past and the future,” combining trench warfare with drones, satellites and artificial intelligence used on an unprecedented scale.
They warn that American military officials should pay close attention. The conflict demonstrates that long, grinding wars remain possible.
“Small, poor countries can surprise and defeat larger, wealthier ones. Success lies in learning to produce and use vast quantities of cheap weapons, not just a small number of advanced systems,” the analysts note.
Lessons For Washington
The authors argue that the United States must rethink its doctrine and production strategy.
They caution that conservative institutional culture and bureaucracy within the U.S. military could slow necessary reforms. Some officials, they suggest, still underestimate what the Ukraine war signals for potential future conflicts, including in the Pacific.
Among the recommendations is a fundamental reassessment of military doctrine, including examining how adversaries could neutralize expensive U.S. defense platforms.
Speed Over Sophistication
Another key lesson is adaptability. Systems, the analysts argue, must be modified in “hours and days, not years.”
They call for large-scale production of low-cost weapons that can be quickly replaced, rather than reliance on limited numbers of highly sophisticated systems.
“Otherwise, when the next conflict comes, the United States may be shocked and defeated, as happened to Russia,” the authors warn.
Drone Revolution
Drones, in particular, have transformed the battlefield. Inexpensive unmanned systems are destroying armored vehicles and fortified positions at a fraction of the cost of traditional platforms.
Analysts compare this shift to the revolutions brought by aircraft and tanks in World War I and by missiles and radar in World War II.
Their conclusion is stark: the United States must understand how weaker actors can challenge stronger ones and prepare for rapid innovation and mass production across its defense industry.
Sources: Foreign Affairs, WP.
