Russia to Try Barrage Balloons to Slow Ukraine Drone Strikes
Here’s why it’s not a terrible idea…
During my time in the US military, I witnessed some truly mind-bending technological advances: Computer networking, stealth technologies, insane satellite resolutions, the first use of cyber warfare against targets in Kosovo, explosive reactive armor, the introduction of loitering drones, and more.
Before 2022, I would have told you that the Russian military is somewhat advanced — albeit, still about 20 years behind the West.
It wasn’t until March of that year that the full extent of Russia’s military corruption problem finally hit me. It was one of the few times I was happy to be dead wrong.
We now know that Russia’s military is about three to four decades behind the West — at least, in conventional warfare technology. (Spoiler alert — their strategic nuclear arsenal probably isn’t much better, but I’d prefer not to find out.)
Still, as the Ukraine War settled into its second year, something interesting happened: Russia devolved into World War I-Era defensive tactics like trenches and barbed wire. This was out of necessity — what was once considered the world’s second-most-powerful army found itself struggling to achieve even a stalemate against a much smaller, yet more determined Ukraine.
