BY ERIC SCHMIDT AND WILL ROPER
TECH
WAR SPURS INNOVATION. OBSERVING LIFE AND DEATH on Ukraine’s battlefield, it’s evident to us that modern warfare now transforms at startup speeds. This battlefield—interwoven with World War I–style trenches and a burgeoning fleet of adapted commercial drones—is tied together by everyday internet technology. The same software used by players to synchronize video-game tactics now does so in a scenario with no pause nor reset button. This meshing of century-old tactics with state-of-the-art hobbyist tech, overlaid with the brutality of war, paints a harrowing portrait.
We saw it in the eyes and streaming video feeds of the brave Ukrainian units hosting us on a front line amid their former homes and businesses now serving as operations centers. Ground troops, with drones circling overhead, know they’re constantly under the watchful eyes of pilots a few kilometers away. Those pilots know they are potentially in crosshairs watching back. This feeling of exposure and lethal voyeurism is everywhere in Ukraine.
Behind this front, commanders work in bunkers with internet connectivity that gives Ukraine a gamer’s combat pace and the advantages of startup-like iteration. But during our visit this summer, it appeared this advantage was waning: Russia had adapted to Western weapons and Ukrainian techniques. Improved jamming and air defenses were increasingly grounding airpower, putting more and more “soldiers in the mud” on a gridlocked front.
For Ukraine, a breakthrough could lie in transforming their nascent drone startup ecosystem—over 200 companies, many with affiliated combat units—into a continuously evolving software platform. As Russia showcases advancements like the Orlan-10 and Lancet drones, S-400 air defenses, and enhanced electronic warfare—all in seemingly inexhaustible quantities—Ukraine’s response could be even faster-evolving software that “internetizes” the battlefield with autonomy, AI, and ad hoc networking. Rather than new hardware, new software (and some clever tactics) can hold the innovation high ground. Traditional militaries, with their slow procurement systems, have no playbook for this. But software startups do. Ukraine must win a “startup war” that constantly brings new systems and new software to the battlefield.
At the heart of this strategy lies the drone—not just as an airborne device but also
