Nations have always watched wars and their ways closely. Each war has its own history and no two wars are the same, but what I can say is very important to understand where the strategies are leading and to be prepared for a possible new conflict.
Great Britain, France and Germany They sent emissaries to observe the American Civil War being fought out in the 1860s. China closely watched how the United States fought in Vietnam. Today we are in the heart of Europe in the greatest conflict since World War II. The intelligence eyes of the world are on themUkraine and how a new war will be fought compared to the past because it is characterized by a large and massive use of technology.
There is no doubt that technology plays and will play an increasingly fundamental role in the economy of a war conflict. In the war in Ukraine it is used extensively. There is no doubt that the major powers are closely watching the unfolding war in Ukraine. In this way, they try to gain an advantage in the strategies should it be needed in the future. The The economist I point out three important lessons that the war in Ukraine teaches us and the world powers. Let’s see which ones.
A new way of waging war: 3 lessons from the conflict in Ukraine
As written by The economist There are three main changes that the war in Ukraine is teaching us and which will provide useful suggestions to the powers with a view to future conflicts. First, war is becoming more and more transparent and technological. Forget binoculars and paper maps to identify the enemy or sensitive points to destroy. Satellites and drones are being used massively in Ukraine to identify the points to be attacked. Modern computer technologies are equipped with increasingly sensitive algorithms, capable of really detecting the slightest movement or misstep of the enemy. Information that can be conveyed to even the most inexperienced soldier on the frontline who knows where to point his weapon to attack.
This means that the wars of the future will increasingly be based on reconnaissance. Instead of randomly striking, you’ll spot the enemy first, disable their technology to avoid being caught early, and then strike. In short, large armies that fail to invest in new and increasingly sophisticated technologies are penalized and risk being overwhelmed by small but technologically advanced armies.
There second lesson What the war in Ukraine shows us is that modern wars can involve huge masses of people and means. The victims in Ukraine were really numerous on both sides. Modern technologies capable of flawlessly hitting the enemy cause a large number of casualties.
Not to mention the consumption of ammunition and resources: Russia has fired about 10 million bullets a year, Ukraine is losing 10,000 drones a month and has asked the Allies to use the dreaded cluster bombs for the counter-offensive.
The third lesson is that the boundaries of war are becoming wider and more blurred. We think of the thousands of civilian Ukrainians who, out of love for their country, chose to go out and fight. A war involving civilians raises ethical and legal questions. The boundaries are no longer specified, the radius of the actors involved is ever increasing.
These three aspects show that the war in Ukraine is a great lesson for large armies. No one could have imagined that a war of similar proportions would break out in the heart of Europe. The future shows that Russia is becoming increasingly authoritarian and could continue to pose a threat. But even the Asian front could get heated at any moment as China stands ready to raise its voice on Taiwan and the US comes to the tiny island’s aid.