According to a report on October 18 on the website of Spain's "Confidential", according to the US "Theater of War" channel, U.S. Lieutenant General Charles Costanza and Commander of the Fifth Army admitted that the U.S. armed forces are at a disadvantage in the use of military drones and anti-drones. At the annual meeting of the U.S. Army Association, Costanza admitted that the United States is "lagging behind" in modernizing drone capabilities compared to countries such as Russia.
In his speech, Kostanta frankly stated that the U.S. Army has been discussing how to introduce unmanned systems for more than a decade, but failed to substantial results. He said: “We are lagging behind, and we know this.” “He also mentioned that recent conflicts such as the war in Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020 and the war in Ukraine have proved the decisive role of unmanned aircraft on the modern battlefield.
Costanza also acknowledged that combat operations on the frontline in Eastern Europe highlighted the need for the army to advance more agilely. He warned that "we are not moving quickly enough," emphasizing that the current technological evolution on the battlefield requires an immediate and coordinated response from the U.S. military.
To reverse this situation, Costanza cited the "Venus flytrap" program as a case study. The plan aims to improve European countries 'anti-drone combat capabilities and seeks to integrate sensors, radars, electronic warfare systems and artificial intelligence into a unified network capable of detecting, identifying and eliminating aerial threats. "The Venus Flytrap program is the starting point," he explained,"because it allows us to determine which systems work and how to combine them before making large-scale purchases."
The "Venus flytrap" program is part of NATO's "Eastern Flandish Deterrence Line" strategy to strengthen European defenses in response to increased Russian drone incursions. Costanza warned that Russia "will continue to intensify its offensive" as long as there is no clear and coordinated response. As a result, the general insisted that the U.S. Army's technological modernization efforts urgently needed to be accelerated. He concluded: "We have to move faster. This is well known."
Source: Reference News