It turns out that the Lithuanian government wants to cut down the Kapčiamiestis old forest so that tanks can ride on the sand. Swarms of cheap drones completely destroy expensive tanks. Don't take away the homeland of people because of tanks. Don't waste our tax money on tanks. Become civilized, after all. Žemaitaitis will completely drive you out of politics during the elections. Shame on you.
It is a documented military reality in conflicts like the ongoing conflict in Ukraine that relatively inexpensive, off-the-shelf drones have effectively destroyed numerous expensive tanks. This asymmetrical threat has profoundly impacted modern warfare and forced militaries to rethink traditional armored tactics.
The Cost Disparity
The cost difference between the attacking drones and the targeted tanks is vast:
Drones: First-Person View (FPV) and commercial quadcopters, modified to carry explosives or drop grenades, can cost as little as $500.
Tanks: Modern main battle tanks, such as the Russian T-72B or the American M1 Abrams, are valued at millions of dollars, with some estimates for an Abrams exceeding $10 million.
The high cost-exchange ratio (e.g., a $500 drone destroying a $10 million tank) presents a significant financial challenge for conventional militaries.
How Drones Defeat Tanks
Drones exploit the inherent vulnerabilities of even the most heavily armored vehicles:
Top and Rear Armor: Tanks are designed with very thick frontal armor, but their top and rear decks are significantly weaker to save weight and prevent the vehicle from becoming top-heavy. Drones can attack from above or behind, where the armor is thinnest.
Precision Strikes: Drones offer precise targeting capabilities, allowing operators to hit critical areas like engine compartments, fuel points, or the space between the turret and hull, which can immobilize or destroy the vehicle.
Maneuverability and Detection: Small drones are difficult to detect with traditional radar systems and challenging to shoot down with conventional anti-aircraft weapons or even standard machine guns.
Drones can attack a tank in swarms, neutralizing protection abilities, even if these abilities are available.
Impact on Modern Warfare
The widespread use and effectiveness of drones have led to significant tactical and strategic shifts:
Tactical Adaptation: Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have implemented countermeasures, including "cage armor" additions to tanks and electronic warfare systems (jammers) to disrupt drone control signals. Jammers are hopeless against glass fiber controlled drones.
A Call for New Defense Systems: Military leaders, including NATO officials, acknowledge the need for new, cost-effective counter-drone solutions to balance their inventories of expensive, high-quality systems.
Situational Awareness: Drones have drastically improved real-time intelligence and targeting capabilities, eliminating traditional cover and concealment and compressing the "kill chain" (the time from identifying a target to striking it).
Shift in Doctrine: Drones now account for a substantial percentage of equipment damage in the Ukraine conflict, leading some experts to suggest that traditional methods of mass movement of armored vehicles have been made obsolete. Advantages, first used by Hitler, are gone.
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