World News
NATO allies must distinguish between Ukraine's tactical innovations and desperate measures, commander says
A Norwegian general cautioned that some of Ukraine's battlefield tactics, particularly its heavy reliance on drones, are driven by resource shortages rather than optimal military doctrine.
The short version
- Brigadier Atle Molde, commander overseeing the multinational training effort Operation Legio in Poland, warned NATO allies against blindly copying all of Ukraine's battlefield tactics.
- While Ukraine has successfully innovated with drone warfare, experts and commanders note this over-reliance is largely a reaction to a lack of artillery, aircraft, and layered assets.
- A potential direct conflict between NATO and Russia would likely differ significantly from the war in Ukraine due to differences in air power capabilities and geography.
Key facts
- Norway leads Operation Legio at Camp Jomsborg in Poland, where Ukrainian forces train alongside Western instructors and share intelligence on modern tactics and equipment.[Business Insider]
- Brigadier Atle Molde stated that Western militaries must critically analyze whether Ukrainian tactics represent genuine innovations or are simply the "last option" due to a lack of choices.[Business Insider]
- Military experts, including Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute and Maj. Rachel Martin of the U.S. Army, have cautioned that Ukraine's heavy reliance on drones is driven by shortages of standard weapons like artillery and air power.[Business Insider]
- Molde noted that a direct NATO-Russia conflict would likely involve substantial air power and different terrain compared to the flat landscape of eastern Ukraine, where neither side has achieved airspace control.[Business Insider]
Sources
- NATO needs to learn from Ukraine without copying its acts of desperation, commander saysBusiness Insider metered