31st Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – National Security
Hon. Oleg Dunda argued that the war in Ukraine demonstrates a revolutionary shift in global warfare, driven by rapid technological innovation. He thanked forum organizers, including Robert Pittenger and Mike Rogers, and stressed that the discussion should focus not on today’s battlefield, but on the future of war. He stated that traditional 20th-century military doctrine is becoming obsolete. Modern warfare, he argued, is dominated by unmanned systems, AI, drones, and digital coordination rather than mass infantry or heavy armored columns. He described the battlefield “kill zone,” where kamikaze drones make human presence extremely vulnerable, shifting combat toward remote drone operators and distributed units. At the tactical level, success depends on producing large numbers of inexpensive drones and using AI to allow one operator to manage fleets of unmanned systems. At the strategic level, logistics, drone-based air defense, and long-range unmanned strike systems are critical. He suggested that expensive manned aircraft, such as traditional fighter jets, are losing relevance compared to reusable unmanned aerial platforms.
He emphasized the importance of satellite infrastructure (at least at the level of Starlink) for communication, coordination, and reconnaissance, as well as the growing role of cyber warfare. He warned that reliance on foreign components, particularly from China, poses national security risks.
Concluding, he argued that military institutions must undergo deep structural transformation similar to innovative companies like Amazon, Tesla, and SpaceX to adapt to a fully digital, AI-driven battlefield. He posed a challenge to Western nations: modernize now or remain trapped in outdated defense system
