Russia continues to prove to the world that it is, in fact, a potent nation with an advanced and self-sufficient military. As part of the country’s massive military rearmament strategy, President Vladimir Putin has ordered significant changes to Russia’s defense production priorities, including the acceleration of unmanned systems, artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and directed energy weapons (DEW). This is in keeping with similar changes made by China and, more recently, reforms ordered by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—though America remains woefully behind the curve in all three areas.

In a talk with Russian defense leaders, Putin highlighted how drones had already reshaped the face of war. Yet, the Russian leader was forced to acknowledge the persistent shortages of drones for frontline combat operations. That’s because the operational tempo of Russia’s military on the frontline is so great that no amount of production could keep up with demand. 

Russia’s Drone Army Is Bad News for Ukraine

Some of the drones that the Russians have employed along the front include the Orlan-10, which is predominantly used for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and electronic warfare (EW) missions. Orlan-10 uses things like the

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