Basic lesson
Saw an interesting essay on how the Ukraine War is forcing a rethink of western, specifically US, dedication to perfect, do anything weapons systems.
Among the growing number of defense companies recognizing this shift is Robin Radar, a Dutch company that makes drone-detection radar systems used by Ukraine and US allies in the Middle East. Kristian Brost, general manager for Robin Radar USA, told B-17 that an imperfect answer “right now, sometimes, is better than a perfect solution later.”
He said there is “a lot we can learn” from Ukraine, which is “in a spot where sometimes they need duct tape and rubber bands.” And, he continued, “I think that’s in itself a lesson: Use what works, use what is cheap.”
He said that while the exquisite weaponry the US loves to build shouldn’t disappear, “we’ve got to get real and just get stuff that works and get it into hands, get people trained, because something even at 80% is better than nothing.”
Ever seen a T-34 tank? A Jeep? An SKS? None of them are perfect and all have significant flaws… but they won wars. Because getting something “good enough” in numbers to troops is better than getting a million-dollar perfect weapon to them too late to do any good. (Do the numbers F-35 come to mind?)
The US and its allies, for instance, are increasingly interested in Ukrainian-style interceptor drones to counter drones instead of relying on expensive air-defense missiles.
Not sure how many billion-dollar Patriot launchers/missiles we have sent over to Ukraine? You know how long it takes for a Patriot to be built? Versus those interceptor drones?
It’s a key area where companies should not wait for perfection, Brost said. “Especially when it comes to arguably one of the biggest gaps in US defense right now. We got to get gear out there, even if it’s not perfect, because we too can learn.”
The company is still making advanced weaponry and wants high performance, but it also wants systems that are more affordable, scalable, and adaptable than traditional Western gear.
Ukraine’s defense industry has presented similar warnings. Serhiy Goncharov, the CEO of the National Association of Ukrainian Defense Industries, which represents about 100 Ukrainian companies, previously told B-17 that in a long war, the West’s focus on having smaller numbers of advanced equipment isn’t the right approach. It needs mass quantities of “good enough” weapons. B17 News
Lot of folks might argue that good right now is ‘way better than better too late to do any good.
Two thing come to mind – for instance, that in WWII Germany was technologically superior in some ways with V-1 and V-2s, the only jet fighters – and lost to sheer masses of Soviet and American arms. (I know that is a dubious comparison – the M-1 was indeed superior to the K-98, but the majority of German casualties were more due to Mosins than Garands, the Germans were never as mechanized as the US – but neither were the Soviets – you can cherry pick the comparisons all night.)
I will freely admit my thinking on this was influenced half a century ago by Arthur C. Clarke. If you have never read perhaps the greatest military science fiction story ever, well, here’s your chance – here’s Superiority.
Category: Science and Technology, Ukraine
