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Artillery, once the 'king of battle' along the front lines has been dethroned by drones, but it still has a critical job to do. The post The Evolving Role Of Ukraine’s Artillery In The Age Of Drones appeared first on TWZ.
Analysis Summary
# Morning News Roll-up October 24, 2024
## Overview
Recent tactical reporting highlights a fundamental shift in land warfare as Ukrainian forces integrate artillery with drone operations to counter Russian electronic warfare and surveillance capabilities. While First-Person View (FPV) drones now conduct approximately 95% of strikes, traditional tubed artillery remains critical for specific effects that expendable munitions cannot yet replicate.
## Top Stories
### The Evolving Role Of Ukraine’s Artillery In The Age Of Drones
- Summary: The Ukrainian 7th Artillery Brigade has pioneered a combined drone-artillery organizational structure. This doctrine moves away from traditional "artillery walls" toward precision, low-volume firing missions (typically under 10 shots) to avoid immediate detection and counter-battery fire from Russian drones.
- Source: hxxps://www[.]twz[.]com/news-features/the-evolving-role-of-ukraines-artillery-in-the-age-of-drones
### M109 Paladins Proving Resilient Against Russian Counter-Battery
- Summary: The mobility of the M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer is providing a survivability advantage against Russian gunners. The ability to "shoot and scoot" is the primary defense against the pervasive threat of Russian reconnaissance and FPV drones.
- Source: hxxps://www[.]twz[.]com/ukraine-situation-report-m109-paladins-are-proving-too-wily-for-russian-gunners
### Advancements in Electronic Warfare and FPV Defenses
- Summary: Ukraine has disclosed new methods to defeat Russian fiber-optic controlled FPV drones, which were designed to bypass traditional radio-frequency jamming. This ongoing cat-and-mouse game dictates the survivability of heavy equipment on the front lines.
- Source: hxxps://www[.]twz[.]com/news-features/ukraine-discloses-new-method-to-defeat-russian-fiber-optic-controlled-fpv-drones
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# Main Topic
The transformation of artillery doctrine from massed barrage fire to integrated precision strikes and suppression, driven by the ubiquity of FPV drones and Electronic Warfare (EW) on the Ukrainian battlefield.
## Key Points
- **Shift in Dominance:** Drones now account for ~95% of active strikes; artillery has moved from being the primary strike tool to a supporting role for suppression and deep-target engagement.
- **Economic Disparity:** A mission to destroy a target via FPV drones costs roughly $20,000, whereas an equivalent artillery barrage of 200 shells is cost-prohibitive and leads to the certain destruction of the gun.
- **Survivability Tactics:** Large-scale barrages have been replaced by missions limited to 10 shots (3-5 for ranging, 5 for effect) to minimize the acoustic and visual signature that triggers Russian counter-strikes.
- **Ground Robotics:** Logistics for artillery and drone units are shifting from pickup trucks to ground-based robotic systems to deliver ammo, fuel, and food to high-risk forward positions.
## Threat Actors
- **Russian Armed Forces:** Utilizing massed FPV drones, Lancet loitering munitions, and counter-battery radar to target Ukrainian artillery positions.
- **Russian EW Units:** Deploying countermeasures to jam drone frequencies, forcing the evolution of drone-artillery tactics.
## TTPs
- **Reconnaissance-Strike Complex:** Use of drones for real-time battlefield surveillance to identify artillery firing positions instantly.
- **Counter-Battery Fire:** Rapid response targeting of guns using FPV drones instead of traditional tubed artillery.
- **Fiber-Optic Control:** Deployment of wire-guided drones to bypass electronic jamming.
- **Suppression/Pinning:** Using artillery not to kill, but to force enemy assault groups into dugouts where FPV drones can then eliminate them.
## Affected Systems
- **Tubed Artillery:** M777 155mm howitzers, 2S7 Pion 203mm, and 2S22 Bogdana.
- **Self-Propelled Systems:** M109 Paladin (affected by high visibility/slow displacement).
- **Logistics:** Pickup trucks and soft-skinned vehicles are increasingly vulnerable to drone interception.
## Mitigations
- **Shoot and Scoot:** Immediate displacement of artillery pieces after firing no more than 10 shells.
- **Drone-Artillery Integration:** Consolidating drone pilots and gunners into a single brigade to shorten the kill chain.
- **Electronic Warfare (EW):** Continuous updates to jamming frequencies to protect gun positions.
- **Robotic Logistics:** Replacing human-driven supply vehicles with Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) for the "last mile" of delivery.
## Conclusion
Traditional artillery is no longer the "King of Battle" in isolation; its survival depends on its integration into a drone-centric ecosystem. Threat intelligence indicates that any artillery unit operating under old doctrines of massed fire is likely to be detected and destroyed within minutes. Future defense strategies must prioritize mobile, high-precision systems supported by robust EW and autonomous logistics.