Articles by Christian D. Villanueva López

The war in Ukraine has made glide bombs topical. Devices that are generally nothing more than aviation bombs equipped with flight control surfaces, which improves both precision and range, allowing them to hit tens of kilometers from the launch point. Devised more than a century ago, thanks to the miniaturization of electronic components and the evolution of both inertial and satellite positioning technologies, they have become tools capable of inflicting great damage, keeping aviation relatively safe from the action of enemy anti-aircraft and all this at a lower cost than missiles. Examples such as the Russian FAB-500 to which UMPK guidance kits are attached or the French AASM in service in Ukraine demonstrate their usefulness. More interesting, however, is the growth trend in [Keep reading…]

C-UAS defense is not conceivable without the participation of a whole series of sensors that, acting alone or collaborating with each other, allow anti-drone systems and their operators to have correct situational awareness. Hopefully, there will also be enough time to make the most appropriate decision to neutralize or mitigate the hostile UAS. Although there are detection systems that have been relegated to the background, such as acoustic ones, others are experiencing unparalleled development, materialized in the appearance of an unprecedented number of models and typologies, in search of providing an adequate response to the threat posed by drones. Despite this, they all have deficiencies that can be exploited. (Continue…) Dear reader, this article is exclusively for paying users. If you want to access the full text, you can subscribe to Ejercitos Magazine taking advantage of our offer [Keep reading…]

Most of the States that make up what we call the West have been increasing their investment in defense since, in 2014, the Russian Federation invaded Crimea. A trend that has deepened significantly since, on February 24, 2022, it launched its failed operation, which turned into a war of attrition. A substantial part of this spending has to do with the development of more modern, capable and safe weapons systems, in the conviction that human life has irreplaceable value and must be protected, even accepting a notable extra cost. Now, what if the right path lay not in spending more on overly expensive designs built in limited quantities, but in preparing armies and societies to assume a high number of material and, possibly, human losses? (Continue…) Dear reader, this article is exclusively for paying users. If you want to access the text [Keep reading…]

The French Ministry of Defense has been working for years to provide the Marine Nationale with a new nuclear aircraft carrier to replace the R-91 “Charles de Gaulle”, in service for more than two decades and, therefore, in the second half of its useful life, which will end around 2038. The future ship, known for the moment by its acronym PANG (Porte-avions de nouvelle génération), will have a length and beam substantially greater than those of the current French aircraft carrier, will have two new generation K22 nuclear reactors and will enjoy an air wing of more than 40 devices, including an unknown number of drones. It will also be an example of the balance that France pursues between strategic autonomy and collaboration with third parties. Despite everything, and barring surprise, its arrival will not contribute to solving the problems derived from having a single cover. (Continues…) Dear reader, this [Keep reading…]

Governments like the Spanish one, with limited means, have opted for a mitigation strategy when dealing with the threat posed by small, low-cost UAS (Unmanned Air Systems). The same occurs with a good part of our neighbors and allies, including the all-powerful United States, which declare themselves incapable of guaranteeing security in the face of constantly evolving ingenuities and which have altered in a short time any cost relationship between attack and defense. . While waiting for the passage of time and the logic of technological innovation to balance the situation, C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Air Systems) means advance in tow of an increasingly complex threat, dividing between those who pursue the increasingly difficult physical destruction (hardkill), its neutralization through jamming or spoofing (softkill) or those that use a combination of both approaches. (Continue…) Dear [Keep reading…]