Innovations
Technological and operational innovations in the UAS and counter-UAS space — what emerged first, where, and what it changes. Each entry is sourced, dated, and linked to the drones involved.
Ukraine combines drones and artillery in a single brigade concept
A Ukrainian National Guard artillery commander describes a newly approved “drone-artillery brigade” concept that integrates UAV strike/recon and tube artillery under one brigade to offset each system’s limits. The approach includes disperse…
Ukrainian 57th Brigade training to evade and hide from enemy FPV drones
The post promotes a training video teaching soldiers how to run, take cover, and conceal themselves to survive attacks by enemy FPV drones. This reflects adaptation of infantry fieldcraft and movement discipline specifically for the FPV thr…
Russian volunteer-built drone "Upyr" and its frontline employment concept
The post describes the early development of the Russian "Upyr" drone as a crowdfunded/volunteer project with milblogger involvement not only in fundraising but also in developing tactics and a concept of employment, refined via operator fee…
Drones: Upyr FPV
93rd Brigade combined-arms assault using tanks amid reduced FPV threat
The post describes a 93rd Brigade operation that deliberately used tanks in assault roles alongside UGVs, UAVs, snipers and artillery, enabled by exploiting a window where Russian drone teams were not pushed forward with assault groups. The…
Russia uses compressed warning-time missile/air attack patterns on Kyiv
The post describes Russia employing more frequent, intense strike patterns that reduce practical warning time for Kyiv residents, stressing air-defense and civil alert systems. The novelty is in the operational tempo and sequencing of attac…
Ukrainian 'Lazar' strike-UAV unit claims Starlink-enabled bomber drone scaling
The post claims Ukraine created a dedicated strike-UAV unit ('Lazar') that pioneered using Starlink connectivity to coordinate/scale bomber-drone strikes across the front. If accurate, this reflects an organizational/tactical innovation: fo…
Russian army aviation shifts to standoff strikes and UAV-cued targeting
The post describes a tactical adaptation: Russian Ka-52/Mi-28/Su-25 increasingly avoid the forward edge, using short pop-up sorties, standoff launches and lofted rocket attacks (NAR from cabrирование) due to dense air defenses. It also high…
Operational F-15EXs conduct first live bomb drops in training
Oregon ANG’s 142nd Wing employed live Mk 82 and Mk 84 bombs from operational F-15EXs for the first time, marking a shift from the unit’s former F-15C air-superiority role toward a multirole strike capability. This reflects a new operational…
Claimed Ukrainian UAV attack on Russian Ro-Ro ship launched from Libya
The post claims Ukraine conducted a long-range maritime strike in the central Mediterranean using a group of attack UAVs, allegedly launched from Libyan territory. If accurate, this reflects an expeditionary basing/logistics model (forward …
Claim of 'waiting' ambush drone ('zhdun') used near Krasnoarmiisk
The post alleges the use of a concealed 'drone-zhdun' that rises from bushes to attack evacuees/vehicles, implying an ambush-style loitering/FPV employment tactic rather than continuous overhead patrol. If accurate, it highlights increased …