The new precision weapon: Is the West ready for cellular drones?

In an operation that will likely be studied for years, Ukraine used dozens of internet-connected drones, launched from trucks inside Russia, to destroy strategic Russian aircraft. The drones took off from Russian soil, but they were guided by operators located deep within Ukraine.

Operation Spiderweb demonstrated something that should alarm every Western capital: The precision strike is no longer the exclusive province of great military powers. It is becoming available, at low cost, to almost anyone.

The battlefield is undergoing its most significant transformation since the advent of rockets and missiles. But the wars now raging have accelerated a revolution that is changing how militaries, intelligence services and terrorist organizations think about war.

Until recently, the drone threat fell into two broad categories: short-range radio-controlled drones, effective but limited to a few miles, and long-range drones with little ability to be corrected in flight; more rocket than aircraft.

Two newer technologies have changed the balance. The first is fiber-optic drones, which allow an operator to guide a drone through a secure physical link, typically at ranges of 5 to 20 kilometers. They remain constrained by the length of the fiber itself. The second, and more strategically significant, is the cellular drone. Systems that rely on cellular or internet-based communications can travel much farther, be redirected in flight, fly at low altitudes that complicate detection, and strike with high accuracy.

In Ukraine, there is growing evidence of cellular drones operating at ranges of hundreds or even 1,000 kilometers— orders of magnitude beyond what fiber-optic systems can achieve.

What makes cellular connectivity particularly dangerous is its accessibility. Unlike satellite links, it relies on........

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