Will drone motherships form part of tomorrow’s warfare?
US Army’s 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment tests a swarm of 40 drones. (Photo: US Army)
While motherships offer multiple operational advantages, the changes in the character of warfare may bring new tactics to the battlefield, reducing their role.
The deployment of drone motherships in Ukraine and in the Middle East has shown the potential of this type of capability. Although it provides multiple advantages to military services, its presence in tomorrow’s warfare is not assured.
The use of large UAVs, UGVs and USVs to transport swarms of small drones can enhance troops’ safety, range, precision, and lethality in multidomain theatres.
Speaking in a recent webinar conducted by the US-based think tank Brookings Institution, Gen David H. Berger, former US Marine Corps Commandant, claimed that “autonomy, autonomous systems and robotics became a way to make yourself bigger than you
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