Maurits Krabben

No ratings yet.

Technology and warfare have been intertwined since the first electronic devices were invented. This is also the case in the current war in Ukraine and we are seeing more and more use of consumer electronics. The Ukrainian forces are using tesla’s Starlink and also consumer drones from DJI. Will this be the future of warfare and why are they being used so widely (Tsereteli, 2022).

We are first looking at the use of drones in the battlefield. Consumer drones are relatively cheap compared to military grade equipment. A small military tactical drone can cost around €35.000, while consumer drones from DJI go for around €1.000. The military drone is superior to the consumer one but in most use cases the consumer drone can be just as effective (Bledsoe, 2022). It is now showing that large quantities of consumer drones can be used very effectively on the battleground (Ayad & Young, 2022).

The communication on the battleground is being jammed by the Russian’s and infrastructure is destroyed. With communication being down and large military communications vehicles being for the most part too expensive for the armed forces, the Ukrainians are turning to Starlink from the company SpaceX. The hardware and internet connection is supplied by SpaceX. The versatility and its effectiveness are proven, all this while being a fraction of the price looking at larger radar and radio communications devices and vehicles (Antoniuk, 2022).

Modern day consumer electronics have large cost benefits compared to military grade equipment. It should be a message towards military contractors, that perhaps modern equipment does not have to be as expensive as it currently is. Military spending could probably be cut down when looking at consumer electronics. Using these economies of scale and modifying them to military equipment can probably bring down costs dramatically. The question remains if it will ever find mainstream use in larger military arsenals.

Antoniuk, D. (2022, September 5). How Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet keeps Ukraine online. The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://kyivindependent.com/tech/how-elon-musks-starlink-satellite-internet-keeps-ukraine-online

Ayad, P., & Young, P. (2022, August 8). Ukrainian soldiers are turning consumer drones into formidable weapons of war. The Observers – France 24. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://observers.france24.com/en/europe/20220808-ukraine-russia-modified-commercial-drones-battlefield-donations-weapons

Bledsoe, E. (2022, October 3). How Much Does a Military Drone Cost? (The Answer You’re Looking For). The Soldiers Project. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.thesoldiersproject.org/how-much-does-a-military-drone-cost/

Tsereteli, A. (2022, August 2). War in Europe: Use of Technologies in the Russia-Ukraine War. Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.freiheit.org/ukraine-and-belarus/use-technologies-russia-ukraine-war

No ratings yet.

The electrical revolution in transport is in full swing. Personal transportation vehicles, with capacity for only one person, are on the rise (Jones, 2022). These vehicles are ideal for personal travel and delivering small goods. They are however at the moment still mostly limited to use of early adopters and people who see it more as a gadget. Is there a future in which these vehicles play a key part in day to day travel, or will they forever stay an expensive toy which also brings you from a to b?

Electric cars sales are rising rapidly and also public transport is slowly converting towards an electric future. The developments of the electrical technology enabled new types of vehicles to be constructed in the personal transportation space. We first saw the electrical steps, electrical scooters and in the last years we saw the rise of electric transportation capsules. These small vehicles have capacity for only one person. They are small and can therefore be maneuvered well. They fit trough the same streets as scooters and bikes do, while still ensuring you have shelter against the weather. They are also cheaper than their full size counterparts.

The current adoption is still mostly limited to delivery services and its mostly used for the last mile delivery. Here it is very useful in very crowded cities. The increased maneuverability from the use of these vehicles is for example leveraged by Amazon in London. They use personal mobility vehicles in the crowded cities to deliver the last mile. The larger vehicles aren’t ideal in these cities because roads are narrow and traffic is always plenty. This also greatly improves the emissions in the city and thus helps combating air pollution (Singh, 2022).

With all these benefits the question arises when widespread adoption will take place. Is there a future for these vehicles and can they also be adopted for personal commutes, or are they limited to corporate use?

Singh, s. m. (2022, 8 juli). Amazon Commits to Micromobility for Last-Mile Delivery in London. geospatialworld.net. Geraadpleegd op 27 september 2022, van https://www.geospatialworld.net/prime/technology-and-innovation/amazon-london-micro-mobility/

Jones, N. (2022, 13 juni). Strong EV Sales Could Soon Weigh on Gasoline Demand. Geraadpleegd op 27 september 2022, van https://insight.factset.com/strong-ev-sales-could-soon-weigh-on-gasoline-demand

Are modified consumer electronics the solution to the rising Military spending?

13

Please rate this

Micro mobility, a revolution or just a hype?

4

Please rate this