Russia-Ukraine war can be characterized by the rapid and wide scale adaptation of newer military technology and tactics. Among the many new combat systems of this war, First-Person View (FPV) drones stand out as a transformative combat system. FPV drones are small high-speed drones which are piloted using a live feed from the drone’s onboard camera, offering a “drone’s-eye view,” unlike traditional drones controlled from the pilot’s ground perspective. FPV drones were used initially for battlefield intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). But with incorporation of explosive payload, FPV drones have now emerged as a threatening weapon system which can be employed at tactical scale with remarkable effects. FPV drones are now routinely used as kamikaze units to destroy military targets such as armored vehicles, artillery units, air-defense systems, logistical vehicles and even individual enemy troops. Beside offensive roles, FPVs and similar drones are also being as hit-to-kill interceptors for hitting and destroying hostile unmanned systems.
The sheer scale of drone production and deployment is unprecedented. Ukraine alone is reported to be manufacturing tens of thousands of drones per month. Combined with other manufacturers and foreign-sourced drones, Ukrainian forces are now deploying FPV drones on an industrial scale. Russia has also ramped up production. Russian forces, according to Moscow, are producing as many as 4,000 FPV drones per day, surpassing Ukraine in drone productivity. This rapid proliferation highlights the significance of drones in the current conflict and their important role as a force equalizer in asymmetric warfare.
The global commercial drone market, dominated by China, has played a pivotal role in the proliferation of FPV drones. Chinese manufacturers provide the components and technologies that underpin most commercial and military drones. During the early stages of the Ukraine war, Russia and Ukraine both relied heavily on Chinese components to build their drone fleets. Recent Chinese export restrictions on certain drone technologies have disproportionately affected Ukraine, which lacks the domestic industrial base to produce drones at scale. Russia, by contrast, has been better able to adapt, leveraging its industrial capacity to manufacture drones from imported subcomponents. This disparity highlights the strategic importance of domestic drone production capabilities in modern warfare.
FPV drones have fundamentally altered the tactical landscape of warfare. Unlike traditional artillery or guided munitions, FPV drones are highly maneuverable and capable of precise strikes on both stationary and moving targets. These drones can loiter and fly around the target to find the weak spot. This makes them particularly effective against armored vehicles, like armored vehicles and defensive fortifications. Ukraine has even started deploying FPVs through naval vessels, while Russia is experimenting deployment of FPVs from helicopters to counter sea-drones.
FPV drones also offer unprecedented efficiency. A single operator can deploy several drones daily, achieving multiple successful strikes. This contrasts sharply with traditional artillery, which often requires the expenditure of hundreds of rounds to achieve similar results. FPV low cost is another major advantage. An average FPV drone in Ukraine costs between $200 and $500, including labor. Even when accounting for a one-third failure rate, the cost of a successful strike remains significantly lower than traditional weapon systems. Guided artillery shells, for example, are often 10 to 50 times more expensive, while the operational costs of artillery pieces and their logistics chains add further expense.
The rise of FPV drones has exposed significant vulnerabilities in conventional military defenses. Armored vehicles, for instance, beside built-in armor have traditionally relied on explosive reactive armor (ERA) and similar add-on armor to counter rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), anti-tank guided missile (ATGMs), and high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) as well as kinetic penetrators by enemy tanks. However, these measures have been turned ineffective against weaponized FPVs. The rapid change in tank-tactics in Russia-Ukraine war exemplifies the remarkable impact FPVs have caused. In traditional sense, modern tanks are specifically protected by thick armor and add-on armor at frontal section of hull and turret arc. That’s because this is where tanks are likely to receive enemy fire. The sides of tank hull can also be protected by explosive reactive armor (ERA). The rare of tank as well as turret-top are usually thin-armored and exposed. When Ukraine started to drop grenades from quad-copters, Russia started to fix cope-cages on turret top for additional protection. But arrival of weaponized FPVs quickly turned this countermeasure obsolete. Ukrainian FPV pilots used to loiter around tank to find and engage the weak spot. The scale of damage was so high that Russians essentially welded metal plates all around armored vehicles to essentially turn them into turtle tanks. Although these turtle tanks somehow offered limited protection against FPVs. But on flip side, these tanks lost their situation awareness, mobility, and even firepower by significant margin, thus hampering their combat capability.
Electronic warfare and jamming systems remain the primary countermeasure against FPV drones. These systems can disrupt the communication links between the drone and its operator, rendering the drone ineffective. However, wide-area jamming is expensive and technically demanding, requiring substantial investments in infrastructure and equipment. Additionally, electronic jamming can be nullified by using physical medium for communication. Russians for example are using optical fiber as connecting medium between FPV and operator to counter radio-jamming. This creates a disproportionate burden on the defender compared to the attacker, particularly in conflicts involving state and non-state actors with limited budgets.
In near future, the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in FPV drones will allow them to operate with greater autonomy rendering jamming and other electronic countermeasures obsolete. As AI becomes more affordable and accessible, these capabilities are likely to become standard features in FPV drones. Autonomous drones would mark a paradigm shift in warfare, blurring the lines between drones and missiles. Unlike traditional missiles, which are expensive and limited in number, AI-enabled drones could be mass-produced at low cost, creating swarms of self-guided munitions capable of overwhelming even the most advanced defenses.
The widespread use of FPV drones has implications far beyond the battlefield. Strategically, their cost-effectiveness and efficiency challenge the traditional balance of power. Nations with smaller defense budgets can now field capabilities that were previously the domain of major powers, leveling the playing field in certain areas of conflict. Operationally, FPV drones are reshaping military doctrines. Traditional concepts of armored warfare, which emphasize heavy vehicles and concentrated formations, are increasingly vulnerable to drone attacks. As a result, many militaries are reevaluating their force structures and operational strategies. FPV drones are unlikely to remain confined to land-based conflicts. As technologies evolve, their use will likely expand to naval and aerial warfare. Swarms of AI-enabled drones could be deployed to overwhelm enemy ships, aircraft, or defensive systems, fundamentally altering the dynamics of future conflicts. Considering the overwhelming military advantages associated with FPVs, its pre-determined that FPVs will continue to explore new frontier with advancements in technology.
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the transformative potential of FPV drones. From their tactical efficiency to their strategic implications, these inexpensive yet powerful systems are redefining the conduct of warfare. These drones are more than just tools of war; they are symbols of a broader technological revolution that is reshaping the battlefield. As production scales and technologies evolve, they will continue to challenge traditional military paradigms, forcing nations to rethink how they fight and how they defend. The lessons of Ukraine are clear: the future of warfare will be defined not by the size of an army or the strength of its arsenal, but by its ability to innovate and adapt. FPV drones are the harbingers of this new era, and their impact is only just beginning.
