Military drones are becoming more diverse in type and purpose. They are used for a wide range of purposes, including reconnaissance, attack, and weapons delivery. Drones believed to be flown by Russia have also begun to fly over EU member states surrounding Ukraine. In September 2025, a Russian drone violated the airspace of Poland and Romania. When a Russian drone invaded Poland, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) acted quickly. Polish fighter jets and Dutch fighter jets scrambled together and shot down the invading drone, demonstrating NATO’s rapid response capabilities. However, this success does not come without challenges. Each fighter jet scramble costs approximately 8 million yen. Spending 8 million yen to shoot down a Russian drone, which costs approximately 100,000 yen, places an excessive burden on the defense. When there are challenges, people emerge to solve them. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has developed a system that combines multiple attack capabilities, including a drone gun that emits flight jamming signals, missiles, and anti-aircraft guns, to agilely intercept incoming drones and loitering munitions. The high-power laser cannon system is said to reduce the cost of shooting down a drone to around 200 yen per shot. It destroys a drone with just a few seconds of irradiation and immediately switches to the next launch. It is said that the system has already been exported to the Middle East and elsewhere.
In the Middle East, in September 2019, Saudi Arabian oil facilities were attacked. The attack was carried out by the Yemeni Houthi militia using 10 drones. This attack disrupted Saudi Arabia’s production, amounting to approximately 60% of its total, resulting in a temporary spike in crude oil prices due to concerns about global supply. Of course, Saudi Arabia was not without a plan. This wealthy nation possesses advanced air defense systems from the United States, Germany, and France. However, this advanced air defense system was defeated by a low-tech, small drone. Furthermore, drones and their use will continue to evolve. On June 1, 2025, the Ukrainian military launched a large-scale drone attack on a Russian air base. Dubbed “Spider’s Web,” the operation involved a total of 117 drones. Operation Spider’s Web simultaneously attacked four military airfields within Russia. The total cost of manufacturing the 117 drones was estimated at only 200 million yen, while the damage to Russia is estimated at 5,000 times that amount, or 1 trillion yen. One-third of Russia’s strategic bombers were lost in this operation. For the operation, attack drones were hidden in the backs of large trucks and placed near air bases across the country. Attacks were launched from these locations.
The use of drones is dramatically changing traditional concepts of warfare. China is a leader in drones. DJI is a well-known Chinese drone manufacturer. A company investigated the components used in the Mavic Air 2, a DJI drone priced at approximately ¥80,000. They found that 80% of the approximately 230 components are from general-purpose electronics. Each circuit board used in a drone is densely packed with 10 semiconductor components, large and small, including control and communication semiconductors and sensors. The Mavic Air 2, the model we disassembled, contained many American-made components. The cost price of this drone’s components was ¥14,000, with a cost ratio of 20%. Expensive components costing over ¥1,000 are limited to the battery and camera. Military technology generally utilizes existing technology with a unique twist. Ukraine, like China’s DJI, has rapidly expanded its in-house production of drones and related components. Ukraine has introduced a system for procuring weapons via drones, similar to online shopping. Russia is also working with several countries to introduce technology and increase production. To counter the spread of drones, countries are developing drone defense technology. In parallel with the development of drone technology, defense strategies to counter the threat are also evolving. This defense strategy involves the drone supply chain. If an enemy country were to be cut off from parts supplies in the event of an emergency, it would be difficult to continue fighting. In the context of the drone’s role as a shield and spear, it seems important for countries and companies to work together to find ways to restrict parts supplies.
Meanwhile, parts supply also requires ingenuity. One such example was the simultaneous explosion of pagers carried by fighters of the Lebanese Shiite Muslim organization Hezbollah. The explosion occurred on September 17, 2024. Approximately 40 people were killed and approximately 3,000 were injured. This development stemmed from the United States’ indiscriminate surveillance. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, indiscriminate surveillance of people around the world began. Snowden’s revelations revealed the true nature of communications interception. Not only the United States, but Russia, China, and Israel also engage in indiscriminate surveillance and communications interception. At one time, when American companies developed encryption software, NASA worked with them to embed security holes in the hardware and software. When IT companies developed software, NASA embedded trapdoors in the encryption, making it easy to extract the codes. Fearing this technology, Hezbollah used pagers. Israel went even further. European media reported that the explosion was orchestrated by Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, Mossad. Hezbollah also believes that Israel carried out the detonation remotely via specific communications. This provides a clue to how to defend against drone attacks: embedding security holes in the components of civilian drones. Going forward, the development of high-powered laser cannon systems as a countermeasure against drones will inevitably evolve. This means that multiple parts will be placed through the supply chain that will cause the drone to stop functioning if even a small amount of laser radiation is detected. Rather than relying solely on the performance of the laser, it is wise to incorporate safety valves into the parts.
