Concept to Combat: The Royal Air Force, Small Drones and the War in Ukraine

Abstract The Russia-Ukraine war has witnessed the extensive use of small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) – a subset of ‘drones.’ Sourced commercially at low cost, ‘mosquito air forces’ of sUAS challenge assumptions of air superiority which underpin the Western way of war. Britain’s Royal Air Force ( raf ) is rapidly evolving its stance on drone and counter-drone technology in response to these developments, with recent strategies highlighting a shortage of uncrewed capabilities. This paper explains the continuities and changes in the raf ’s approach to sUAS pre- and post-2022. Based on interviews with senior commanders and officials, the paper argues that efforts to prioritise sUAS in light of lessons from Ukraine and earlier conflicts have been fraught with organisational and cultural challenges. Conceptually, this case study interrogates what a military innovation looks like in practice and examines how western militaries balance innovation without compromising the execution of existing missions.