PRECISION GLIDE MUNITIONS. METHODS FOR EFFECTIVE COUNTERACTION BASED ON THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE
PRECISION GLIDE MUNITIONS. METHODS FOR EFFECTIVE COUNTERACTION BASED ON THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE

Author(s): Mario MARINOV
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Security and defense, Military policy, Peace and Conflict Studies
Published by: Carol I National Defence University Publishing House
Keywords: glide munitions; glide bombs; counteraction; countermeasures; air defence; Ukraine.
Summary/Abstract: The evolution of the modern battlefield is defined by the rapid manifestation of transformative processes in weapons systems deployment, which alter past warfighting capabilities and concepts. One such weapons system, massively deployed in the conflict in Ukraine, is that of the precision glide munitions in its most modern iterations, which has had a profound impact on conventional military operation. The following paper examines the role of precision glide munitions in modern warfare, with a focus on their tactical and operational impact during the conflict in Ukraine. Through an analysis of their capabilities, operational deployment, and effectiveness, the study identifies counteraction methods, including electronic warfare, air defence adaptations, and emerging technologies. The paper centres on a mixed-methods approach, structured around collection, analysis and deconstruction of open-source intelligence, technical analysis of munition characteristics, and synthesis of third-party expert assessments. The focus on open-source intelligence and third-party analyses, alongside the rapid evolutionary patterns within the examined weapons system type, predispose potential biases, whose mitigation is sought through a robust, multifaceted and objective examination of source materials. The overarching findings underscore the necessity for conventional forces to adapt to evolving threats through integrated defensive systems and doctrinal innovation.

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