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Drones are re-engineering the geopolitics of the Middle East
Middle East Institute ^ | March 7, 2022 | Mohammed Soliman

Posted on 03/11/2022 10:51:52 AM PST by SunkenCiv

In the 2010s, UAVs emerged as cheap weapons with enormous destabilizing potential. For many non-Western state and non-state actors, drones made the cost of influencing geopolitics dramatically less expensive. State actors combine drones with advanced intelligence; surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR); and electronic warfare capabilities to overwhelm the air defense systems of their enemies. For instance, Azerbaijan successfully used its Turkish- and Israeli-made drone arsenal to break the stalemate in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, gaining an advantage over Armenia. Non-state actors, such as the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, utilize drone technology to advance their political agendas and battlefield strategies. For example, the Houthis launched a drone attack deep inside the UAE in January 2022 in retaliation for advances by UAE-backed forces against Houthi-held territory in Yemen. While the Houthi drone attack caused limited physical damage, it underscored the Houthis’ prowess in asymmetrical warfare and undermined the UAE's reputation as an oasis of stability in a volatile region. Perceptions of Emirati vulnerability will ultimately impact the country’s economy and status as a trade hub.

(Excerpt) Read more at mei.edu ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: drones; egypt; iran; iraq; lebanon; putinsbuttboys; putinworshippers; russia; russianaggression; saudiarabia; turkey; yemen

1 posted on 03/11/2022 10:51:52 AM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; BraveMan; cardinal4; ...
Great, there hasn't been nearly enough different kinds of warfare in the Middle East.

2 posted on 03/11/2022 10:52:52 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Coming soon for patriots in North America.


3 posted on 03/11/2022 10:58:20 AM PST by Rinnwald
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To: SunkenCiv

I think the first major ‘drone’ impact war was at Armenia/Azerbaijan


4 posted on 03/11/2022 11:28:30 AM PST by Conservat1
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To: Conservat1

I heard there was an impact in Croatia today.


5 posted on 03/11/2022 12:22:54 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: Rinnwald

The keyword also contains topics about the drone vid taken of the Kyle Rittenhouse self-defense event.


6 posted on 03/11/2022 10:11:14 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Conservat1

It wasn’t the first major one, but it was the first one where the outcome of the war was decided largely by drones, which could be why it was over so quickly.


7 posted on 03/11/2022 10:14:49 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Indeed


8 posted on 03/12/2022 4:50:49 PM PST by Conservat1
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To: SunkenCiv

Sounds like a “jobs program” for engineers and technicians.
Not all bad...


9 posted on 03/12/2022 4:55:59 PM PST by nascarnation (Let's Go Brandon!)
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