How will mines dropped by drones change warfare?
LAST YEAR Ukraine’s elite “Birds of Magyar” drone unit tried a new tactic. Conventional anti-tank mines, typically the size of a dinner plate and weighing 12kg, are usually laid in fields immediately in front of defensive positions, marked with barbed wire and warning signs. A multicopter “heavy bomber” can lay six or more mines from 20km away, several times a night—although constant mining is needed to keep a route closed, which takes heavy drones away from other missions. Birds of Magyar were highly satisfied with their mining campaign and launched a fundraising campaign for 20,000 Ukrainian drone-dropped copies of Russian mines at $50 each. Mine warfare has always been about reducing mobility; mines laid by drones make movement even more difficult and more dangerous, for both soldiers and vehicles.
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