Ukraine has set the stage for a new era of war – and AI could supercharge it

Drones have been part of the military inventory for decades, but the war in Ukraine has seen a massive escalation in their exploitation. Does this herald the start of a new era in modern warfare, and will the rapid development of AI lead to the inevitable dawn of drone wars? Unmanned flight predates manned, but the limits of technology have – to date – made unmanned air vehicles (UAV) vulnerable and thus unsuitable for widespread military use. However, the relatively benign air environment over Afghanistan led to the development of a new generation of loitering platforms – such as the…