As the proxy war in Ukraine ages, it evolves in similar ways to previous wars. The weapons and tactics you begin a war with often look nothing like what you are using when the war ends. Perhaps, the best example of this paradigm is World War 1. When WWI began, armies were literally still using horse cavalry. However, by the war’s end, armies were using chemical weapons, tanks, machine guns, and even planes. The Ukraine War is also experiencing a similar rapid evolution in warfare, which has not been seen since the First World War. When the war began, both armies were conventionally armed with what amounted to higher tech or improved versions of pretty much what we left off with in World War II. Tanks, artillery, aircraft, surface ships, and infantry were the mainstays of the militaries. Add in some modern surveillance technology and precision missiles and you have the picture. However, that all started to change…and change fast…when the first drones started to be used along the front lines. This was the first phase of adoption and may be considered a sort of proof-of-concept or test phase. Since then, we have witnessed an acceleration of the rate of adoption of drones, which has become the driving force in how these militaries are now fighting. This has brought us to the current phase of full adoption and use of drone technology across the battlespace. This includes on the ground, in the air, and at sea for strike, targeting, surveillance, and intelligence gathering missions. The next phase, which Russia will soon initiate brings drone use to a horrifying new level. This is the phase where drone systems truly break out and become the dominant force on the battlefield much like airpower during WWII.