Drone hunters: How helicopters are becoming the battlefield's new predator

A major challenge facing armed forces around the world is the rapid proliferation of drones on modern battlefields. Both Russia and Ukraine are currently engaged in fighting thousands of drones that have become ubiquitous along the frontlines. At the same time, countries across the Persian Gulf are grappling with the threat posed by Iranian drones targeting critical infrastructure, using them as a relatively inexpensive alternative to cruise missiles. India too faced this challenge, destroying around 600 Pakistani drones launched in an attempt to overwhelm Indian air defences.One of the factors that has amplified the effectiveness of these systems is that, until recently, air defence networks were designed primarily to counter high-value threats such as fighter aircraft, cruise missiles and, to a lesser extent, ballistic missiles. Air defence systems evolved in complexity—and consequently cost—to defeat increasingly sophisticated targets. The emergence of cheap drones has disrupted this paradigm.