First-Person-View attack : drones FPV e inovação militar na guerra da Ucrânia (2022-2025)

Abstract

Ukraine has been using Class 1 and 2 aerial drones, especially first-person-view (FPV) drones, intensively in its defence against the Russian invasion since 2022, broadening the debate on the role of air power in asymmetric and high-intensity conflicts. In this context, at what stage of the military innovation process is Ukraine’s employment of first-person-view (FPV) aerial drones? The starting point is the hypothesis that drones are not just improvised short-term solutions, but central elements of a military adaptation process with innovative potential, capable of expanding the operational capacity of a strategically disadvantaged actor through low-cost and highly adaptable means. The research is based on Military Innovation Theory and classic and contemporary studies on air power, adopting a qualitative approach and structured as a single case study of the conflict in the period from 2022 to 2025. Data were collected from primary documents, such as military reports and official records, and secondary sources, including think tank analyses and specialised literature. The analysis is organised into three main areas: (1) technological innovation, examining the adaptation of commercial drones and their integration into reconnaissance, fire correction and attack missions; (2) organisational innovation, observed in the decentralisation of production, the participation of civilian networks, and the coordination between the state, the armed forces, and civil society; and (3) doctrinal innovation, related to the emergence of new tactical and operational practices in the use of air power in a highly contested environment. It can be concluded that the Ukrainian case represents a highly effective tactical adaptation process with innovative potential, in which material limitations and continuous operational pressure catalyse organisational creativity and new forms of military power generation, even though it does not yet constitute a fully consolidated military innovation.