cover of episode TBD | The Drone Wars
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Jake Epstein
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Jake Epstein: 作为一名国防记者，我亲身观察到乌克兰无人机战争的独特之处。乌克兰的无人机生产常常在不起眼的建筑中进行，例如普通的公寓楼，这与大型工业设施形成鲜明对比。这种小规模、临时性的生产方式，体现了乌克兰在资源有限的情况下，寻求非对称优势的努力。我发现，乌克兰大量使用小型FPV无人机，这些无人机成本低廉，易于组装，并可用于直接攻击敌方目标。乌克兰国防工业迅速扩大无人机生产，以应对俄罗斯的军事压力，并规避西方国家对其导弹使用的限制。这种自主研发和生产无人机的能力，使乌克兰能够有效地打击俄罗斯的军事和能源设施。无人机战争也促进了技术创新，例如光纤无人机，提高了无人机的抗干扰能力。我认为，乌克兰的无人机战争展示了未来战争的蓝图，其他国家军方正在密切关注并从中吸取经验教训。然而，自主武器的发展也带来了一些伦理和安全问题，我们必须认真对待。

Deep Dive

Chapters
This chapter explores the reasons behind Ukraine's adoption of drones in the war. Due to artillery shell shortages and the high cost of missiles, Ukraine's defense industry focused on mass-producing cheaper, readily available drones. These drones, including small FPV drones, were effectively used against enemy assets and proved to be a cost-effective asymmetrical solution.
  • Ukraine's artillery shell shortages led to a focus on drone production.
  • FPV drones, similar to commercially available quadcopters, became a key weapon.
  • Homemade drones provided a cost-effective alternative to expensive missiles.
  • Ukraine's defense industry scaled up significantly to meet the demand for drones.

Shownotes Transcript

The war between Ukraine and Russia is being fought increasingly via drone —and NATO and US military leadership is training troops for future conflicts that will pit man against machine.

Guest: Jake Epstein), senior defense reporter for Business Insider.

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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