ABSTRACT
This chapter examines selected innovations undertaken by Ukrainians in Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine since 24 February 2022, specifically at the tactical level of war. The focus of this research is to identify key innovations or lessons learned in order to analyse their impact on the current conflict as well as how they apply to future military endeavours. The two primary areas examined in this chapter are unmanned aerial systems (UAS) employment and artillery operations by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) against the Russian Federation (RF) armed forces. Key takeaways, implications, and conclusions are that UAS, counter-UAS, and artillery operations are critical aspects of this conflict and will be critical to success in 21st-century warfare. These aspects are present from the tactical to the strategic level, with increasing efficiency, effectiveness, and lethality given innovations in how these means are utilised as well as how artificial intelligence (AI) is integrated into their use. Twenty-first-century warfare is evolving; this research strives to document in what ways as well as how best to stay apace and help Ukraine win now and preserve United States’, and Western, dominance in the future.
