From 19FortyFive, April 18:
One of the most important concepts to emerge from Ukraine is that of the “transparent battlefield”. It refers to an environment in which tactical and operational information is made available in real-time to personnel on the ground, their commanding officers, and strategic decision makers.
The exponential development and proliferation of advanced technologies in recent years have pierced the fog of war to an unprecedented degree. This is most apparent on the battlefields of Ukraine, which have become the proving grounds for new military concepts and technologies.
One of the most important concepts to emerge from Ukraine is that of the “transparent battlefield”. It refers to an environment in which tactical and operational information is made available in real-time to personnel on the ground, their commanding officers, and strategic decision makers.
Achieving ‘Transparency’ on the Battlefield
Greater battlefield transparency is primarily driven by improvements to command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (C4ISTAR). The proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and sensors have had a particularly noticeable impact in Ukraine, as well as in other conflicts like the Second Nagorno Karabakh War.As noted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “sensor saturation creates a “transparent battlefield” in which forces can be found and targeted more easily than in past decades.” Similar conclusions were reached in the British Army’s Land Operating Concept (LOpC), unveiled in September 2023. The LOpC observes that “An exponential increase in both the quality, and number of, advanced sensors and precision weapons is resulting in an expanded and more transparent battlefield.”
UAVs bolster ISTAR with cost-effective deployment and low-risk missions. Offensive UAVs like UCAVs and loitering munitions reduce target response times and improve kill chain speed.
Various sensors like radar and LiDAR provide clearer battlefield images, penetrating vegetation and aiding in target detection, especially in adverse conditions. Satellites, both military and commercial, democratize access to intelligence gathering, previously restricted to governments.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) from tools like social media and commercial satellites empowers civilians to support military efforts, providing real-time battlefield updates that were once exclusive to trained agencies. In Ukraine, civilians have acted as a “force multiplier” by providing OSINT for the Ukrainian military. A civilian with a smartphone and access to the internet can expose military forces on the move in a matter of seconds in a way that was not possible before the age of information technology.
Implications Posed by the Transparent Battlefield
On the transparent battlefield, it is far more challenging for soldiers and vehicles to remain concealed or for larger formations to achieve surprise.As noted again by the LOpC, “It is becoming much more difficult for soldiers to hide and survive… With military actions being more closely scrutinized in real time, maintaining surprise, deception, and legitimacy will be more of a challenge.”....
....MUCH MORE
Very related at the AP a couple days ago:
Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats
The tacticians are realizing that tanks, though still very useful hunks of steel, are safest when attacking in blitzkrieg style: forward, forward, always forward .
Which is of course a bastardization of a mis-attributed mis-translation.
Last used in 2011's #OccupyWallStreet Proclaims Victory, Announces Plan to Re-launch #OccupyMom'sBasement:
"L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace!"
("Audacity, audacity — always audacity!")
—incorrect quote incorrectly cited to Frederick the Great
in the movie Patton:
"De l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace..."(audacity, more audacity, and ever more audacity...)—Georges Danton
