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I took the opposite message from the article. It describes how difficult it is to concentrate enough resources to successfully attack a hardened defended positi

I took the opposite message from the article. It describes how difficult it is to concentrate enough resources to successfully attack a hardened defended position, when the defenders can see you coming and destroy you from afar one piece at a time. Locating the fixed, hardened positions of the defense is relatively easy. Locating the mobile assets of the offense and destroying them before they attack is the new thing. Scouts and cavalry have had this role this for ages, but drones plus guided munitions are extra good at it.

rualca 6y ago
> Scouts and cavalry have had this role this for ages, but drones plus guided munitions are extra good at it. I would add that they are not only extra good, they are also extremely cheap and thus disposable and able to be deployed in mass.
- imtringued 6y ago
  UAV's aren't cheap. If you want a cheap air based solution then get an Apache Helicopter and a rocket pod filled with APKWS Hydra rockets and some Hellfire missiles just in case something actually dangerous pops up. Do you know what's even cheaper than that? Good old fashioned bullets. Artillery and armored fighting vehicles will never die out because they don't cost ten thousands of dollars to operate per hour. When you are holding onto ground for 24/7 you can't afford such an expense.
  - robscallsign 6y ago
    So, in the context of the discussion, you're arguing that instead of deploying drones (Turkish TB2 ~$5 million USD flyaway) as they did, Azerbajan should have purchased a squadron of Apache Helicopters (~$40 million USD flyaway) along with the support, training and maintenance infrastructure it would take to properly field them, in an effort to save money?
rossdavidh 6y ago
Well that is an interesting point. I guess I was thinking of an open-field battle, but an assault on a hardened position is probably more common. Actually, that reminds one of WW1 where the western front ended up in stagnation (Verdun) but the eastern front remained more fluid. Perhaps this means that fortresses become even more important.

rualca 6y ago

> Scouts and cavalry have had this role this for ages, but drones plus guided munitions are extra good at it. I would add that they are not only extra good, they are also extremely cheap and thus disposable and able to be deployed in mass.

imtringued 6y ago
UAV's aren't cheap. If you want a cheap air based solution then get an Apache Helicopter and a rocket pod filled with APKWS Hydra rockets and some Hellfire missiles just in case something actually dangerous pops up. Do you know what's even cheaper than that? Good old fashioned bullets. Artillery and armored fighting vehicles will never die out because they don't cost ten thousands of dollars to operate per hour. When you are holding onto ground for 24/7 you can't afford such an expense.
- robscallsign 6y ago
  So, in the context of the discussion, you're arguing that instead of deploying drones (Turkish TB2 ~$5 million USD flyaway) as they did, Azerbajan should have purchased a squadron of Apache Helicopters (~$40 million USD flyaway) along with the support, training and maintenance infrastructure it would take to properly field them, in an effort to save money?

rossdavidh 6y ago

Well that is an interesting point. I guess I was thinking of an open-field battle, but an assault on a hardened position is probably more common. Actually, that reminds one of WW1 where the western front ended up in stagnation (Verdun) but the eastern front remained more fluid. Perhaps this means that fortresses become even more important.