Kathrine Frich
War games often paint a bleak picture of the future.
When analysts map out a sudden invasion, the defending side usually faces a brutal uphill battle.
Soon, new intelligent technology will completely flip that familiar script.
The dark scenario
Military experts recently ran a simulation of a Russian attack on Lithuania. The Times cited by La.lv reports that the first version of the exercise looked incredibly grim.
In this setup, Europe faces a severe political crisis. Russian forces take advantage of the chaos and strike from three different directions, pushing through Latvia, Belarus, and Kaliningrad at once.
By the fifth day, Vilnius is almost completely surrounded. Allied nations hesitate to send help, and Moscow threatens to launch nuclear weapons to hold its new territory.
A smarter defense
The second simulation starts with the exact same geopolitical crisis. This time, Lithuanian and German defenders bring a massive new tool to the fight.
They deploy thousands of smart kamikaze drones. These HX-2 models, built by a company called Helsing, completely shatter the initial wave of the invasion.
These flying bombs travel up to 60 miles and dive at the speed of a golden eagle. Their real power lies in an artificial intelligence targeting system. The software ignores electronic jamming and finds targets on its own.
Changing the odds
These advanced drones are not just theoretical concepts. Ukrainian forces have flown them in combat for nearly a year, and the machines currently boast a massive 80 percent accuracy rate.
Operators can even link them together into a digital swarm. Recent training tests proved that a single soldier can guide ten or more explosive drones simultaneously.
In the second war game, this technology proved devastating. Defending NATO forces wiped out over a third of the invading troops in just ten days.
Buying precious time
A former Pentagon official supervised the massive simulation. He shared a positive conclusion, strongly believing that border countries can hold their ground if they have the right equipment.
“Most border states could develop the capabilities to deter and, if necessary, defeat at least three Russian first-echelon armies within one to two weeks, buying time for NATO forces to arrive under Article 5 to help defeat Russia’s second-echelon armies,” the official stated.
European security leaders continue to warn that Moscow might test the alliance soon. That is exactly why these war games matter. If the simulations are right, smart AI drones could be the perfect answer to a massive invasion.
Sources: LA.LV, The Times
