Restoring Manoeuvre in Ukraine? - The Technology, Tactics, and Tests (with Rob & Dmytro)

Restoring maneuver warfare on the Ukrainian battlefield requires overcoming a highly transparent, drone-saturated environment that favors static, attritional defense. While traditional armored vehicles remain essential for offensive operations, their survival depends on integrating advanced countermeasures, such as hard-kill active protection systems and remotely operated weapon stations, to mitigate the constant threat of FPV drones. Successful breakthroughs necessitate a holistic combined arms approach that synchronizes artillery, electronic warfare, and drone-escort teams to suppress enemy ISR and logistics. Current experiments, including the use of specialized engineering vehicles and drone-heavy assault units, demonstrate that while maneuver is not obsolete, it demands rapid, iterative innovation. Future force design must prioritize this integration of unmanned systems and defensive technologies to avoid the stagnation of attritional warfare, acknowledging that the rapid pace of technological adaptation remains the primary determinant of battlefield success.