The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has provided military strategists with a wealth of lessons about contemporary large-scale combat, from the rise of unmanned systems to the challenges posed by electronic warfare. Last week, US military intelligence officials at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) annual conference shared their reflections on what insights they have gleaned from Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion.
Andrew Evans, director of the Army’s ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) Task Force, noted, “It’s easy to sit at the Pentagon thinking you have great ideas for innovation. But you know who the best innovators are? The people who have to innovate or they’re going to die the next day.” He emphasized that the “battlefield innovation that’s occurring in Ukraine is unprecedented.”
On The Water: Asymmetric, Unmanned Capabilities
Despite Russia’s formidable naval fleet, the war has demonstrated that Ukraine’s use of smaller unmanned surface vessels and land-based strikes can effectively challenge traditional naval power. Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, Director of Naval Intelligence, highlighted the significance of anti-ship cruise missile defense lessons learned from events such as the sinking of the Slava-class Moskva by Ukrainian Neptune missiles in April 2022.
He remarked, “The asymmetric capabilities that the Ukrainians — who didn’t even have a navy — have been able to levy on the Russians is pretty impressive.” Thomas observed that the Ukrainian tactics have effectively pinned the Russian Black Sea Fleet to the eastern side of the sea due to the deployment of unmanned maritime assets.
He expressed enthusiasm for Ukraine’s use of unmanned capabilities, particularly in risky missions that military planners typically avoid placing crewed vessels in. “There’s a ton of lessons that we’re pulling down from that, and you can translate them into other theaters,” he asserted.
In Space: Commercial Imagery for Intelligence-Infused Diplomacy
Space Force Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence Maj. Gen. Gregory Gagnon noted the critical role commercial remote sensing played in supporting diplomatic efforts before the war began. In the months leading up to Russia’s invasion, U.S. officials could present imagery showing impending military actions to allies, which helped rally international support.
“Much like in the past, inside secure facilities in foreign capitals, we convinced our allies,” Gagnon described. “But this time… we then empowered our allies with the ability to show it to their public, because it was commercial, unclassified imagery.”
Online: The Race to Dominate the Information Space
Brig. Gen. William Wilburn, Jr. of the Marine Corps underscored the importance of the information space in the conflict. He highlighted the unprecedented race to utilize social media for messaging from both sides. “The information space was dominant in this fight,” he noted, mentioning that the U.S. government surprised even him with the volume of information they shared to garner international support.
Wilburn emphasized that the competition to control the narrative using social media will be a critical tactic to watch in future conflicts. “Those that are able to operate in that space are going to do well, and those that aren’t are going to suffer a great deal,” he warned.
On Land: Drones and Electronic Warfare
For Andrew Evans, the conflict has revealed two key capabilities: the effectiveness of low-cost unmanned systems and the evolving nature of electronic warfare. He pointed out the remarkable return on investment represented by drones, noting instances where $500 UAVs have successfully defeated $20 million armored vehicles.
“We’ve got to start thinking differently in how we acquire weapons systems,” he advised. “We’re trying to understand what the right acquisition looks like.”
He also highlighted the need for a renewed focus on electronic warfare reprogramming, which will allow for timely adaptations to counter adversaries’ tactics. “If you start to do battlefield innovation and see that your effects are being diminished? We have to be able to respond to that very quickly,” Evans stated, underscoring the vital relevance of these capabilities for future conflicts.
As warfare evolves, the lessons learned from Ukraine will undoubtedly shape military strategy and innovation in the years to come.
