In a recently published analysis Israeli Major General Jacob Benjo describes FPV drones not as a new approach or a new weapon, but as a “revolution in the military”.
The senior researcher in the research team at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies in Ramat Can sees a fundamental change in ground warfare and wonders whether the generals of the NATO-Alliance have already understood the extent of the changes on the battlefield.
Only Russia and Ukraine are currently fighting (-> current news from the Ukraine war) are fighting this war, according to Benja. “What they have already forgotten, we have not yet learned,” writes the expert. And he warns: “Whoever goes into the next war without implementing the FPV revolution will lose by knockout and not by points.”
According to Benjo, the now long ranges of FPV drones have led to a 40-kilometer-deep combat zone around the front area, where anyone who spends more than 15 minutes in the open runs a high risk of being attacked and killed by an FPV drone.
Complete game changer
According to Banja, the wide range of applications offers considerable tactical advantages. He sees the qualities of the FPV drone in its high accuracy and real-time information from the battlefield as well as the ability to perform specific tasks. Added to this are high maneuverability and – thanks to fiber optic technology – now also immunity to electronic warfare.
Troop concentrations are destroyed immediately, forcing the attacker to attack with “weak forces”. Defenders are also forced to spread out over large areas – between significant proportions of false targets and unmanned positions.
“A tank is forced to keep moving, otherwise it will be destroyed.”
Generalmajor Jacob Benjo
Benjo also addresses the financial costs of FPV warfare. He estimates the cost per drone at around 500 euros, and since one in five hits, the cost of an attack is 2,500 euros. Even a simple 155 millimeter grenade is more expensive, a Spike NLOS missile costs around 20,000 euros, a Hellfire missile already 50,000 euros.
FPV has replaced various existing systems. Due to FPV, all combat and transport helicopters have disappeared from the front line. Air forces can no longer guarantee air superiority for their ground troops at ground level. The FPV drone is a reconnaissance and strike tool in one.
And Benjo warns of the perception barriers in the armies. Due to their structure, they have difficulties in recognizing the whole. He also sees a lack of understanding of the impact of quantity. “One million FPV drones sounds like an imaginary number, although they are actually being produced in Russia and Ukraine separately (and without Chinese help).”
Just imagine what 10,000 FPV drones could do in a synchronized attack at a depth of 10 kilometers. There is still no way to defend against this effectively, writes Benjo.
In summary, the general sees a change in the rules of the game on the modern battlefield. “If FPV is implemented with a systemic approach, enormous difficulties will arise. Most armies have not even solved the problem of anti-tank missiles yet. They are now faced with the difficulty of having to solve both problems at the same time.”
About the author
Major General Jacob Benjo has been a senior researcher in the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies research team since July 2024. Prior to that, he was head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate. He looks back on a 34-year military career in which he served mainly in the Armored Corps and the General Staff.
Benjo is an expert in power building and the exercise of military power – from the tactical to the strategic level.
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