Warfare has changed, so should have methods.

Summary

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Urban Warfare 2009 - Company overview

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Warfare has changed, so should have methods.

the Israeli offensive against the Gaza strip in late 2008-early 2009 was only the last of a series of conflicts that mostly took place in urban areas. Initiated by air raids, operation 'Cast Lead' ground attack started six days later and penetrated the highly urbanised areas two weeks after the first fighters dropped their precision guided ammunition over the strip, showing how this scenario is still considered very dangerous.

The increased precision of air-launched weapons adds to the equation of urban warfare as it allows to better prepare the ground before an offensive and to support own troops even during the operation. This, however, requires superior intelligence gathering, especially in the preparation phase, in order to hit the maximum number of key targets to facilitate the task for ground troops. Not only does such a task require the use of good sensors, but also the capability to maintain a persistent surveillance over the area in order to check, until the last moment before the attack, that targets are still where they had initially been located, as unnecessary collateral damage would spark strong reaction from the international community.

In current asymmetric conflicts those who normally exploit urban areas to defend themselves do not have air support, therefore the risk for air vehicles over the area is mainly related to small arms fire, medium-calibre weapons and shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles. In that scenario the use of medium-altitude long-endurance (male) drones can ensure the required air surveillance and monitoring, as well as the targeting (either providing the grids of the single targets or designating them with an encoded laser beam during the attack). Describing the air assets, which can prepare the ground before an operation in urban terrain, providing there is sufficient time to carry out the whole intelligence and destroy missions, goes beyond the scope of this article. However, the need for the attacking party to have the best possible situational awareness means that the intelligence collection process is far from complete when the first bombs or missiles are dropped on the targets. Indeed, the urban warfighter needs a continuous update on the situation ahead of his sector, and to do so other types of unmanned assets that are becoming available at the lower echelons are of vital importance as they reduce risks for the soldiers while providing a better understanding of the situation at all command levels.

Drones

While males can provide overall intelligence cues (not only image but also signal and communications), at tactical level the urban warfighter needs a drone that can be deployed quickly in the sector of interest just ahead of a unit, which can be at company, platoon or even at team level. Pre-planned missions can be carried out in the urban environment, although the quick changes typical of that scenario often require re-planning; this can become quite difficult especially when operating in urban areas characterised by tall buildings that tend to create the so-called "urban canyons" where flying drones becomes critical. One could fly over the roof height but with considerable limitations in terms of visibility.

Fixed-wing mini and micro drones flying at speed are suit...

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