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Saw an interesting essay on how the Ukraine War is forcing a rethink of western, specifically US, dedication to perfect, do anything weapons systems.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cright now, sometimes, is better than a perfect solution later.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there is \u201ca lot we can learn\u201d from Ukraine, which is \u201cin a spot where sometimes they need duct tape and rubber bands.\u201d And, he continued, \u201cI think that\u2019s in itself a lesson: Use what works, use what is cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that while the exquisite weaponry the US loves to build shouldn\u2019t disappear, \u201cwe\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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\u00a0 too late to do any good. (Do the numbers F-35 come to mind?)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a key area where companies should not wait for perfection, Brost said. \u201cEspecially 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\u2019s not perfect, because we too can learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Ukraine\u2019s 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\u2019s focus on having smaller numbers of advanced equipment isn\u2019t the right approach. It needs mass quantities of \u201cgood enough\u201d weapons.\u00a0\u00a0B17 News<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Lot of folks might argue that good right now is ‘way better than better too late to do any good.<\/p>\n
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<\/em>\u00a0 jet fighters – and lost to sheer masses of Soviet and American arms.\u00a0 (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.)<\/p>\n