Russia’s exploding unjammable drones probably won’t be the end-all game changer in this strange Ukraine war arms race

First, the operator needs to consider how they are using the wired drone. The drones being used with this type of connection are already typically short-range tactical drones, but the cable adds an additional range constraint. The tethered drones are also likely compact and probably carrying smaller payloads.

Pettyjohn said that “when you add the additional weight and the complexity of having a leash that’s attached to the drone, there’s only so far it’s going to be able to go.”

The attached wire may also restrict where the operator can fly the drone. It could, for example, get snagged on tree branches or potentially become entangled with other wired drones. And possible counters, such as severing the wires, could also limit the system’s usefulness in combat.

HIGHCAT has said its wire drops to the ground once it’s unwound from its reel, “which eliminates the possibility of tangling.” It’s unclear if the Russian systems adequately address this issue or not.

From there the technology expanded. Drones were used to drop mines or grenades, slam into vehicles or troop positions with explosives on board, or even intercept other drones, such as the bigger, more exquisite systems.

Electronic warfare has taken its toll on the force, but now new things, like the wired drones, are emerging. At some point, as countermeasures are developed, some other capability will most likely take its place. Maybe it’s AI-driven autonomous drones. Perhaps it is something else. Ukrainian officials have said unmanned ground combat systems could be the next “game changer.”

Both sides continue to engage in a cat-and-mouse game, adapting and countering each others’ latest developments. And as a Ukrainian official previously told Business Insider, “this is the most technologically advanced war in human history.”

“Technologies make a difference on the battlefield,” the official explained, saying “we are basically re-inventing their use every day.”