The Interconnected Role of Drones in the Digital Battlefield: Bridging Electronic Warfare, Cyberspace, and Beyond

In the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, drones have become a significant part of the battlefield. The Ukrainian military, for instance, has been using Bayraktar TB-2 drones for strikes, reconnaissance, and propaganda videos. These drones, loitering above and destroying Russian vehicles, have been showcased as a form of propaganda, demonstrating the Ukrainian forces as a powerful, modern power.

Simultaneously, Ukrainian civilians have also been involved in drone operations, customizing them for use in the war. A civilian volunteer organization, led by Kseniia Kalmus, has been formed to support the daily use of drones in the war. This workshop, involving around 20 volunteers, produces about 50 drones per week, including various sizes and even kamikaze drones.

On the other side, the Russian military has been using small drones for directing artillery and occasional strikes. The use of drones by both Ukrainian and Russian military forces underscores the importance of these unmanned aerial vehicles in modern warfare.

However, the use of drones comes with its own set of challenges. Their interaction with the information environment requires special attention, particularly in relation to electronic warfare, cyber warfare, and psychological operations. Cyberattacks could disrupt drone operations, cause them to crash, collect information for future attacks, or redirect them to attack friendly targets. Drones rely on complex computer systems for operation, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks that could deauthenticate them from the ground control station, disable their engines or propellers, or issue false commands.

As autonomous weapons scale into drone swarms, concerns about their use are likely to grow. Greater autonomy in drones may increase vulnerabilities to cyber and space warfare, as they may require more complex computing and GPS navigation. The relationship between drones and space warfare is still at a rudimentary stage, with satellites providing communication links and localization through GPS. Targeting satellite constellations could disrupt numerous unmanned systems over a broad area.

The challenges of verifying autonomous weapons use offer ripe opportunities for disinformation to create uncertainty. This was seen in the case of the Iranian forces, who claimed to have sent false GPS signals to capture an American RQ-170 Sentinel drone in 2011.

In response, commanders may need to deploy dedicated defenses against electronic warfare, take appropriate countermeasures to protect vulnerabilities, and rethink deployments when necessary. Jammers are the most common form of counterdrone system, used to disrupt drone signals.

Interestingly, the use of drones extends beyond the battlefield. They are becoming increasingly diverse in their usage, potentially expanding to space in the future. Global militaries are developing unmanned ground vehicles, large unmanned surface vessels, unmanned undersea vehicles, and large aerial swarms.

The use of drones as autonomous weapons, however, raises ethical and policy concerns. A January 2016 Ipsos poll found 61 percent of respondents opposed autonomous weapons, including strong majorities in several NATO countries. The potential for weapons of mass destruction derived from drone swarms could have significant normative and policy implications.

In a more peaceful context, drones have been used creatively. An uplifting ballad was written using the videos of Bayraktar TB-2 drones by Ukrainian civilians. This demonstrates the versatility of drones, not only as tools of war but also as sources of inspiration.

The Orion drone is mentioned but no specific details about its use are provided. As the use of drones continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to see how they are integrated into various aspects of our lives.

The Interconnected Role of Drones in the Digital Battlefield: Bridging Electronic Warfare, Cyberspace, and Beyond