The Future of Infantry II
The Call of Duty Generation
I promise this post is on infantry, specifically what effect FPV drones will have on infantry combat.
FPV, or First Person-Perspective drones, are named as such because they are “piloted” by the operator from a first-person perspective: the operator “sees” what they would see if they were in the drone and controls it as such. Whereas some drones have a camera that can move around independently of the drone itself, FPV drone cameras do not move. The operator must move the drone to move the field of vision. While this might seem like a disadvantage, it more tightly couples the cognitive control of the operator with the drone. They are operated exactly like a first-person shooter video game is operated. It enables faster reaction times and more maneuverability. They’re literally used for racing events.
Unsurprisingly, these have already been applied on both sides in Ukraine. They enable very precise and disruptive attacks.
The Ukrainians have even delivered large numbers of FPV drones to the front via another, larger drone called the Baba Yaga. Yes, they invented Protoss carriers.
So what does this mean for infantry?
First, FPV drones are mostly a new threat, one to which infantry is very susceptible. It’s also, frankly, pretty terrifying. The mental and moral effects sown by successful FPV drone strikes will be greater than their physical damage.
They don’t offer much opportunity for exploitation by infantry forces. For one, you’d have to carry an awful lot of them, and therefore less of everything else. Anyone who has had to carry a mortar and its ammo knows what I’m talking about. Second, you don’t want too many grunts pinned down by a video screen for too long. Those grunts that you do have operating unmanned systems would be better used for reusable reconnaissance drones.
Motorized or mechanized forces have better options, since the operator can remain in a vehicle and operate the FPV drones from there. But again, limited space means a preference for reusable reconnaissance drones instead of expendable FPV drones.
Carrying capacity for all forms of infantry is going to be a premium because the best defense against FPV drones will be electronic in the form of jammers. Which means grunts will have to carry jammers as well. However, many defensive techniques developed against manned aircraft, like the use of air sentries and immediate action drills, will find new relevance for the FPV drone threat.
In short, FPV drones are a new threat to infantry for which defensive measures will need to be developed but they offer little in the way of enhanced offensive punch due to the logistics burden they would place on the grunt. The logistics of carrying many FPV drones is too burdensome. Likely the best way for infantry to employ them is by calling for support from FPV drone operators, perhaps organic to the battalion headquarters company similar to the way 81mm or 120mm mortars are employed.
This is not necessarily true for the subject of the next post in the series: loitering munitions.
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Perhaps we need small robotic platforms equipped with jammers and other countermeasures to accompany dismounted movements and ones mounted on vehicles for vehicle movements. Certainly the Ukrainian FPV imagery posted indicates that any lone dismounted soldier or single vehicle is in considerable danger, especially in open terrain.