Integration of First Person View (FPV) Unmanned Aerial Systems in Romanian Ground Forces Operations

The war in Ukraine is an inexhaustible source of operational lessons for the armed forces. Against the backdrop of the growing operational use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), this article discusses the potential of integrating FPV systems into the Romanian Armed Forces’ ground operations and provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential benefits of such a decision. Against the background of the need to integrate emerging technologies in the process of force structure adaptation, the study provides arguments in favour of acquiring such a combat technology, based on the experience of the two belligerents in the Ukraine conflict, but also of other actors who have already decided to implement these systems in their own force structure. In addition, the paper provides a combat functional analysis of the operational use of FPV drones, highlighting the advantages and challenges of this technology in the current military context, as well as potential evolutionary trends. The study concludes that the integration of these systems in the armed forces can bring several tactical advantages, but it is essential that this decision should be well-founded and take into account the specific context and requirements of the Romanian Armed Forces.