Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a hot topic in today’s military and strategic discussions worldwide, and there are good reasons for it. Although drones have been in use for a long time in the arenas of construction, agriculture, surveying, and photography, defense strategists have realized the potential of drone operations in recent years.
These versatile drones are now increasingly being used for many military applications, including intelligence gathering, precision strikes, and target acquisition. In this article, we will discuss the revolutionizing impact of commercial drones in military operations.
Types of Drones
There are a few categories of commercial drones that defense organizations use in military operations.
- Fixed-wing: These drones are the fastest UAVs designed to land and take off like airplanes.
- Single-rotor: These drones look like helicopters and are more durable than other UAVs.
- Multi-rotor: Multi-rotor drones are simple and give the user the most control over framing and positioning.
How Are Commercial Drones Impacting Military Warfare?
1. Drones Aid in Surveillance and Reconnaissance
Even before firm military actions come into the picture, drones can continuously keep track of enemy actions, troop movements, the enemy’s strategic features, and the weather. Hi-tech commercial drones provide accurate real-time information regarding the activities of the enemy.
Drones are also valuable for capturing closer and clearer footage of enemy assets silently without compromising the quality of the videos and photos.
2. Drones Help in Intelligence Gathering
One of the most common uses of commercial drones in military warfare is intelligence gathering. Commercial drones have large sensors and stable, high-resolution cameras to gather images and data in strategic locations while maintaining low profiles.
Such data can be utilized to access enemy positions, track vehicle movements, and identify the terrain. This precise data assists the agents engaged in covert military operations by helping them sabotage the target in a foreign land.
3. Drones Assist Target Acquisition
Drones are a great tool to acquire targets in faraway spots. With the help of robust sensors installed in the drones, militaries can easily locate and track specific enemy movements, which can then be utilized to target enemy locations with high accuracy.
When a military unit intends to strike their artillery, bombs, missiles, or other heavy armor, drones help them by specifying the exact location of the targets. Surveillance drones are also great at measuring damages caused at the enemy positions and gauging the success rates of the attacks.
4. Drones Carry Out Precision Strikes
Sometimes, military commanders must hit a specific target without engaging heavy artillery or personnel. Modern commercial drones have precision-guided ammunition to hit enemy targets with the highest accuracy and covertness.
Such precision-striking capabilities of drones help military units carry out target striking without engaging in full-fledged confrontation or causing collateral damage. Moreover, in case of failure, drone attacks minimize losses on the part of the military.
5. Drones Help in Logistics and Supply
Besides carrying out enemy surveillance and target acquisition tasks, heavy-duty drones play a critical part in logistics and supply operations. Drones send equipment, supplies, food, medicines, gear, and other essential materials to soldiers posted in remote or inaccessible areas.
Using drones to send logistics also helps avoid enemy surveillance, as drones can covertly transport supplies, unlike supplies made through vehicles or personnel.
6. Drones Expedite Search and Rescue Operations
In remote areas like deep jungles, high-altitude terrains, deserts, deep seas, and islands, it takes much time and effort to conduct search and rescue operations. If one of your team members is stuck in an adverse condition in a remote area, waiting for rescue teams to reach the place is not wise.
In such a scenario, drones can speed up rescue operations by locating and identifying your personnel in an inaccessible and hazardous area. Drones can also transport critical and life-saving materials like oxygen, medicines, or food to the affected persons.
7. Drones Are Used in Combat Operations
Militaries around the world are using drones to support their combat operations. UAVs are a great option to provide close air support and cover to ground troops.
As drones can attack with guided munitions, they accurately eliminate dangerous enemy assets before those can harm your personnel. Drones are increasingly used in border areas to patrol and detect enemy intrusions.
8. Drones Increase Operational Safety
Drones provide the military with real-time critical information without putting the lives of military personnel at risk. Moreover, this critical information helps military commanders assess the conditions and position their troops accordingly to lower the harm to the troops.
Nowadays, drones are regularly used in hostile environments to escort military convoys, predict ambushes, and identify the location of covert enemy agents.
9. Drones Enhance Training and Simulation
Drones can be effectively used for simulation and training purposes. UAVs can be employed to simulate adverse scenarios, making the troops improve their skills, strategies, and accuracy in a regulated and safe environment.
The Bottom Line
From its initial development in the Cold War era, drones have advanced a long way, both in terms of functions and sophistication. As drone technology continues to advance with the inclusion of software-centric operations, we can expect that drones will be even more assistive in military operations in the coming times.
