Frontline Lessons from Ukraine: Why Australia Must Prepare for the Drone Age
It is no exaggeration to say that Ukraine has become the world’s leading innovator for modern warfare. Over more than three years of defending our nation from Russia’s full-scale and illegal invasion, we have learned many hard lessons. One of the clearest: the future of warfare is uncrewed, semi-autonomous and asymmetric. It is a reality we live with every day and one that no nation can afford to ignore.
In Australia, some may still feel that what is happening 15,000kms away is of limited relevance. But let me be frank: it is highly relevant. What we are facing now, you could face tomorrow. The threat of drones is not a European problem; it is a global one. If you’re not preparing now, you are already behind.
Ukraine’s cities, towns, frontlines, and energy infrastructure have been under constant attack, not only from Russian missiles but from swarms of drones, including those supplied by Iran and North Korea. They are cheap, supplied in high numbers, indiscriminate and lethal. Traditional air defence systems were never designed to handle them. To respond, we have adapted quickly, integrating surveillance, detection, jamming, and different kinetic defeat technologies across all levels of our defence. Some of our most effective tools have come not from the world’s largest military powers, but from innovative partners, including Australia.
Image: DroneShield’s RfPatrol Mk2 provides advanced detection and signal classification capability.
Operations such as SpiderWeb, a 4,000km-range drone attack harnessing logistics trucks, show that modern strategic asymmetric thinking is alive and well. Strategies of this sort are easily replicated in any future conflict globally - including Indo-Pacific scenarios. Combining traditional military strategic planning with next-generation technology is not only smart - it is essential.
However, I must also offer a word of caution. Not all systems entering Ukraine have performed as promised. Some have failed. Others have been heavily marketed but operationally untested. In some cases, misinformation originates from Moscow, deliberately engineered to confuse, deceive, and divide. But in other instances, it comes from well-meaning suppliers who have not delivered as expected. That is why credible, battle-tested companies like Thales’s Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle, and DroneShield’s drone detection and defeat equipment stand out. They don’t just promise, they perform.
Ukraine is ready to support its allies, like Australia, in building national resilience and readiness. We offer more than solidarity; we offer battle proven experience. Our armed forces have battle-tested technologies, refined tactics, and developed comprehensive drone warfare procedures under the harshest of conditions. We stand ready to share this expertise, openly with those willing to learn. Whether through technical cooperation, joint research and development, or tactical consultation, Ukraine can help ensure that our allies are not only prepared but technologically equipped to deter and defeat the threats of tomorrow.
This war has reminded us that strength in numbers matters. That new technology, when paired with courage and resilience, can disrupt even the most heavily armed aggressor. Ukraine has defied the odds through courage, innovation, and international solidarity. But we have also seen what happens when the West waivers: Russia seizes the opportunity with indiscriminate violence.
Australia must continue to build its national resilience. The lessons of Ukraine are not distant, they are urgent. The threat of autocratic powers is real, and the time to act is now.
Ukraine stands ready to share its knowledge, its experience, and its resolve. Together, through strong alliances and smart use of technology, we can build a safer, more secure and hopefully peaceful world.
This article originally appeared in The Australian.
Written by HE Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia.