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MOWA 2024

Writer's pictureMOWA

Veterans as Agents of Military Innovation: The Ukrainian Contribution to Strategy Development in the 21st Century

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Russia began in February 2022, gave serious impetus to the development and adoption of new military technologies and tactics. In conditions of active hostilities and mass use of drones, artillery, and electronic warfare systems, the Ukrainian military turned out to be very adaptable and inventive. They proved to be the real backbone of those novelties-building strategies that protect not just Ukraine but even have some influence on the future of global military doctrine.


 

Historical Background: Combat Experience as the Driver of Military Innovation

In fact, throughout the ages, combat experience has been the strongest driver for military innovation. It is from these veterans, after having been thrown into the lion's den, that insights pour in which no amount of simulation or theorizing can provide. Their feedback usually institutes new strategies, refinements in tactics, and technological development to meet challenges not envisioned on the battlefield.


Veterans also guarantee continuity: knowledge transfer across generations does not get lost, and the hard-learned lessons of combat inform training, strategy, and doctrine. This continuity allows a military to be agile but responsive, first and foremost, to both conventional and hybrid threats.


  1. Maxim Machine Gun

    The Maxim machine gun, patented by Hiram Maxim in 1884, best describes how military hardware is developed based on combat veterans' input. Though Maxim himself was not a veteran, soldiers using the weapon in combat provided highly valued inputs, which were incorporated into several critical refinements.

    Maxim Machine Gun

    Operating under extreme conditions reliably: The reports that reached the British veterans of colonial campaigns in Africa and Asia pinched on the requirement to have

    something more solid to bear extreme heat, humidity, and even sand. The water cooling system invented for Maxim made this possible, allowing continuous fire in those guns during protracted battles — a factor of prime importance during the trench fighting of World War I.

    Mobility and Tactical Use: Veterans from World War I learned rather quickly how artillery and air strikes could easily take out a stationary machine gun. The Maxim was put on wheeled carriages to give it mobility; with this, soldiers could put the weapon in another spot quicker for an upper hand in tactics.

    Rate of Fire: This made the veterans engage in economizing on ammunition without completely losing firepower during their defense operations. In return, refinements came about for soldiers in regulating the rate of fire of the Maxim and balancing continuous fighting with the need to economize on ammunition.

    It also extended to the creation of the Maxim to be easily taken apart and serviced under harsh field conditions with the least down-time of the gun.

    These refinements were based directly on veterans' experiences, making the Maxim machine gun one of the most reliable and influential of its time. The value of such veteran feedback is underlined by its continued use during World War II.

  2. World War II: From Maneuver Warfare to Air-Ground Operations

    The combined-arms tactic, especially between the tank divisions, infantry, and air support, had been most refined during World War II. One very effective example of such tactics in the early years of war was the German "blitzkrieg" or lightning war. However, the post-war period also saw further refinement in this regard, and the veterans played a significant role in refining and expanding such tactics. The critical factor was that nations such as the United States and the Soviet Union had assimilated hard-won lessons from their veterans into their training programs, particularly greater integration among the services, especially in air-ground operations.

  3. Vietnam War: Operations of Counterinsurgency

    Viet Cong guerillas pose in a jungle clearing in the Iron Triangle, AP photo

    The contingency experience of the U.S. in the jungles of Vietnam drastically changed the course of military operational philosophy in the United States. The essence of developing new ways of conducting war brought about the guerrilla tactics of the NLF organization popularly known as Viet Cong. Veterans contributed much to the establishment of modern counterinsurgency concepts, including helicopters for mobility and night vision systems to enhance battlefield awareness.


  4. Iraq and Afghanistan: The Counter-IED and Information War

    MRAP Cougar hit by a powerful IED during the Anbar campaign (September 2007). The crew survived unharmed thanks to the vehicle's enhanced blast protection

    Veterans were immensely instrumental in combat against the most lethal weapons of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan-known as IEDs, or improvised explosive devices. Protection worked out earlier was insufficient, and hence, new strategies were developed involving the use of drones for surveillance and elimination of targets, systems of neutralization of remote-controlled explosives, and enhanced personal and vehicle protection. These experiences contributed to fine-tuning theory in counterterrorism strategies and also provided salient lessons for future conflicts.


 

Full-Scale War in Ukraine: Challenges and Adaptation

The war events in Ukraine underlined the realities of flexibility and rapid adaptation on the modern battlefield. The Ukrainian Forces have managed to introduce changes on the battlefield through creative applications: drones, EW systems, and small mobile group tactics against numerically superior adversaries.


  1. Drones: The Face of Modern War Ukraine emerged among the first countries to use drones most impressively on a large-scale basis. Ukrainian forces use them for surveillance, adjustment of artillery fire, and striking targets in motion. The use of FPV drones in strikes against enemy machinery and equipment with precision will minimize all sorts of risks associated with manpower and reduce civilian losses. Therefore, drones have turned out to be an integral part of modern military action.

  2. Electronic Warfare and Drone Defense

    The "Tsukorok" is a compact drone detection device developed for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It alerts soldiers with a sound when enemy drones are nearby, enabling them to take cover in time.

    Equally, Ukraine has become a testing range for electronic war. Thus, Ukrainian forces use the EW system to jam enemy drones, creating "dead zones" where the control of drones is impossible. Mobile EW units proved exceptionally good against enemy UAVs in protecting critical infrastructures and frontline troops.

  3. Hybrid Tactics for Mobile Groups The Ukrainian army has elaborated hybrid tactics dependent on small mobile groups, which are widely equipped with light armored vehicles, drones, and modern communications. Under such conditions, this group can strike at important targets of the enemy independently, changing their positions fast. They will suffer minimal losses in such a case while retaining high mobility and being unpredictable even in conditions of intensive fire.

  4. Innovation during Combat Operations

    The Ukrainian military is generally quite resourceful in adapting to new situations. For instance, civilian drones were adapted so that they could drop grenades or function as loitering munitions. Adaptation poignantly shows that even in times of shortage, much can be done through swift adaptation to situations and emerging threats.


The war in Ukraine has become the most significant catalyst for developing new tactics and technologies that will define the face of further warfare. It is in real life that the Ukrainian forces find those very solutions that have already changed the face of modern conflict. This is an essential experience, both within the nation and in the international arena, influencing the strategy of the allied nations. Veterans who have gone through the most intense combat become leading experts, contributing to global security and offering pragmatic solutions to new challenges.


 

Why MOWA DEFENSE Relies on Veteran Experience

MOWA DEFENSE draws on the knowledge and expertise of veterans not just to train new soldiers but also to enhance the development and testing of military equipment. Veterans possess invaluable hands-on combat experience, which plays a critical role in adapting technology to the realities of modern warfare.

  1. Combat-Proven Technologies: Veterans don't merely evaluate equipment based on theoretical performance—they test it in real-world combat situations. This enables MOWADEFENSE to release products refined through practical feedback directly from the battlefield.

  2. Rapid Adaptation to Evolving Combat Conditions: Modern conflicts demand quick reactions to changing tactics and enemy strategies. Veterans, especially those participating in hybrid and asymmetric warfare, are skilled at analyzing threats and rapidly adjusting defensive and offensive technologies.

  3. Real-World Scenarios for Development: Veterans provide insights based on unpredictable, real-world conditions that cannot be simulated in peacetime. These include technical malfunctions, logistical challenges, operational difficulties, and coordination with allied forces in the field.


Consider Strategic Cooperation! Linked to the combat experience of the Ukrainian forces with technological development, this might be the very foundation of increasing your organization's readiness and resilience. Please get in touch with us to learn how our extensive knowledge and expertise will help your firm adapt to contemporary challenges and ensure timely elaboration of protection and development solutions.





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