Russia's Advanced Warfare Techniques in Urban Battlespaces
In an enlightening episode of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast, John Spencer is joined by Samuel Bendett, an analyst with the Center for Naval Analyses and an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, who specializes in Russian unmanned military systems and artificial intelligence.
Bendett sheds light on Russia's evolving use of technology in urban warfare, focusing on how Russian forces are adapting existing and emerging technologies to overcome the challenges of combat in dense urban environments. He discusses various unmanned aerial and ground vehicles Russia is experimenting with for urban combat, and the role of drones and robotic systems in reconnaissance, targeting, and support roles.
The conversation emphasizes specific technological innovations developed or deployed by Russia, such as advanced communications, surveillance equipment, counter-drone measures, and precision weapons designed for navigating and engaging in complex city terrains. Bendett also provides insights on how the battlefield environment influences technological deployment, including limitations posed by infrastructure, civilian presence, and electronic warfare conditions unique to urban settings.
The podcast covers the tactical implications of these technologies for Russian urban combat strategies, highlighting how Russia combines conventional infantry tactics with new tech to achieve localized battlefield advances, despite setbacks in broader conflict zones. Bendett contextualizes this within the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, noting Russian attempts to demonstrate battlefield breakthroughs through technological means to sway international perceptions and morale.
This episode, originally released in 2020, also touches upon Bendett's work tracking Russian technological advancements. The Urban Warfare Project Podcast can be subscribed to, and listeners are encouraged to leave reviews or ratings if they are enjoying the podcast.
It's worth noting that the lessons learned from Russia's recent experiences fighting in Syria are impacting Russian force development, according to Bendett, and these lessons have influenced the way Russia has conducted operations during the war in Ukraine.
The full episode can be listened to below or found on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast app. The strategic use of technology in urban warfare and Russia's adaptation to the complexities of city fighting remain central themes in analyses like Bendett’s.
- Samuel Bendett, an expert in Russian unmanned military systems and artificial intelligence, reveals that Russia is adapting existing and emerging technologies for urban warfare, focusing on the challenges of combat in dense urban environments.
- Bendett discusses the role of drones and robotic systems in urban warfare, particularly in reconnaissance, targeting, and support roles, as well as the technologies Russia is experimenting with for urban combat.
- Among the technological innovations Russia has developed or deployed for urban combat are advanced communications, surveillance equipment, counter-drone measures, and precision weapons designed for navigating and engaging in complex city terrains.
- With these technologies, Russia combines conventional infantry tactics with new technology to achieve localized battlefield advances, as Bendett explains, despite setbacks in broader conflict zones such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
