New Strategy Center organized on February 20, in partnership with the National Defense University, the fourth edition of Umnaned Systems Forum, the only conference in Romania dedicated to unmanned systems.
The conference started with introductory remarks by Mr. Ionel NITU, President of New Strategy Center and Major General Eugen MAVRIȘ, Rector of the National University of Defense “Carol I”.
Panel I. Two Years of the Aggression War in Ukraine. An impact assessment and possible developments
The discussion was moderated by MG (Ret.) Paul HURMUZ, Senior Associate Expert, New Strategy Center, and the speakers were Lieutenant General Dragoș IACOB, Deputy Chief of Defense Staff, Romania, Mykhailo SAMUS, Director, New Geopolitics Research Network, Non-resident expert, New Strategy Center, Ukraine, Peter WATKINS, Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE IDEAS, London School of Economics, UK, and Phill PETERSEN, Chairman, Center for the Study of New Generation Warfare, USA.
The panel analyzed the lessons learned so far from the war in Ukraine, where military strategies have adapted on the battlefield and led to operational impasses in certain situations. The speakers mentioned the need for a gradual adaptation to the dynamic situation on the ground, characterized by the extensive use of artillery, massive ammunition consumption, and the production and intensive use of drones of all categories. Currently, we are witnessing a war of attrition that intensely consumes the resources of the belligerents, both human and material, and this will continue with intensity in the coming year.
Panel II. The War in Ukraine and the Future of the Maritime Domain
The discussion was moderated by Major General Eugen MAVRIȘ, the rector of the National Defense University “Carol I”, and the speakers were Admiral (retired) Ihor KABANENKO, former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Vice Admiral Mihai PANAIT, Chief of the Romanian Naval Forces, Greg MELCHER, Chief Operations Officer for the Center for the Study of New Generation Warfare in the USA, and Oscar ROJAS, Vice President for Global Operations at the American company Ocean Aero.
The second panel discussed the future of the maritime domain and the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. Firstly, drones have demonstrated their capability to replace and maintain functionality on the battlefield. Furthermore, the Ukrainian example illustrates that the use of naval drones can nullify maritime supremacy. At the same time, the discussion emphasized that new concepts must be developed to integrate drones into naval forces because the future of military maritime affairs will depend on the efficient integration of new technologies. An example elaborated by the speakers in this regard was the core strategic necessity in the maritime domain, which in the future will be linked to underwater visualisation capabilities, where drones can thrive.
Panel III. Strategic Stakes of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Role of Unmanned Systems
The panel, moderated by David CARSTENS, Senior Associate Expert at the New Strategy Center, delved into critical aspects of maritime security, particularly in the Exclusive Economic Zone, freedom of navigation, and the protection of critical infrastructure in the Black Sea and Danube region. Mykhailo GONCHAR, President of the Center for Global Studies “Strategy XXI” from Ukraine, Rear Admiral Liviu COMAN, Commander of the Naval Component, Naval Forces, Romania, and Chief Police Commissioner Nicolae MERLĂ, Head of the Coordinating Center for the Protection of Critical Infrastructure, Romania, extensively described the complex challenges and diverse strategies of inter-institutional collaboration.
The group of experts emphasized the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation amidst multiple naval challenges from Russia and the persistent threat of unmanned systems in the maritime and land border areas with Ukraine. The discussion expanded to the broader field of critical infrastructure protection, considering the evolving security environment. Challenges, including cyber threats and the role of drones, were addressed. Speakers underscored the significance of a comprehensive and collaborative approach involving state agencies and the private sector, highlighting the continuous adaptation of legal frameworks for the protection of critical infrastructure to effectively counter emerging threats.
Panel IV. The War of Drones. Lesson Learned from the Ukrainian Front
The fourth panel of the day was moderated by Greg MELCHER, Chief Operating Officer, Center for the Study of New Generation Warfare, USA. The discussion was joined by Mykhailo SAMUS, Director, New Geopolitics Research Network and non-resident expert New Strategy Center, Brigadier General (res.) Hans DAMEN, Member of the International Advisory Council of the New Strategy Center and former head of the Logistics Directorate of within the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands, Christophe FONTAINE, Vice President for NATO/EU Concept Development, International Strategic Development General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., USA, Haluk BAYRAKTAR, CEO, BAYKAR Tech, Turkiye and Lieutenant General (res.) John DEEDRICK , Strategic Advisor, Sig Sauer Inc., former United States Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, USA.
Panelists tackled the complex topic of drone use in contemporary conflict, looking at lessons from the conflict in Ukraine. According to the panelists, we are witnessing a revolution in the military domain, dictated by how drones are used. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was the first in which the large-scale use of drones changed the nature of warfare. Ukraine’s initial use of drones gave it a battlefield advantage that allowed it to repel the Russian Federation’s initial attack. As the conflict continued, the Russian Federation also began to integrate unmanned vehicles into its doctrine, starting with Iranian-made drones and later building its own industrial capabilities. In 2025, it is very likely that the Russian Federation will be able to produce many more drones than Ukraine, with the potential to exceed the aggregate production of NATO states.
Panel V. How do we fight drones? Systems and solutions against aerial and naval drones
The panel was moderated by Brigadier General (retd.) Hans DAMEN, Member of the International Advisory Board of the New Strategy Center and former Head of the Directorate of Logistics at the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands. The discussion was joined by Col. Romeo-Milail TĂBÎRCĂ, Deputy Chief for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Directorate of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Marius PATRICHE, Deputy Director, General Directorate of Internal Protection, Davey GIBIAN, Director of Artificial Intelligence, DZYNE Technologies, USA and Daniela HILDENBRAND, Head of Unmanned Vehicle Countermeasures Unit, ESG ELEKTRONIKSYSTEM – UN LOGISTIK-GMBH, Germany.
The panel of experts analyzed the emerging field of countering unmanned aerial vehicles, sketching the reasoning behind decisions to develop technological solutions as well as strategic planning in the public and private sectors. The discussion covered the complex array of threats that unmanned aerial vehicles used by state and non-state entities with malicious intent, as well as public safety uses, can pose. Both military and civilian applications were considered, with a focus on integrated solutions covering the entire operational cycle of unmanned autonomous vehicles.
Panel VI. Defence Industry Cooperation in the Context of the War in Ukraine. The Impact of the Unmanned Systems (part I)
The sixth panel consisted of a dialogue between George Scutaru, CEO of the New Strategy Center in Romania, and Radu Oprea, the Minister of Economy of Romania.
Radu Oprea underscored the importance of adopting a strategy and laws to facilitate the rapid implementation of projects in the defense industry, covering a wide range of aspects, from ammunition production to drone development. A concrete example in this regard could be the “Romanian Drone” project. To support this initiative, a new law on technological and industrial cooperation has already been adopted, which will streamline collaboration between the public and private sectors. The Minister believes that drones will play a crucial role in the defense industry, and Romania has the technological capabilities and expertise necessary to produce drones domestically. Additionally, Romania should allocate resources for innovation and research and actively engage in European programs in the defense industry.
Panel VI. Defence Industry Cooperation in the Context of the War in Ukraine. The Impact of the Unmanned Systems (part II)
The second part of the sixth panel consisted of a discussion moderated by Mr. George Scutaru, CEO of New Strategy Center, with the participation of Lieutenant General Teodor Incicaș, Chief of the General Directorate for Armaments of the Ministry of National Defence and Mr. Emanuel Popp, Director of the Romanian company Autonomous Flight Design.
The main topic of this part of the panel was the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. From the perspective of the Ministry of National Defence, the first lesson is that the defence industry needs the ability to adapt to the requirements of operational situations and to transform the operational needs of others into technical desires, with the aim of making Romania a reliable supplier to Ukraine. The lessons learned from Ukraine’s experience of using unmanned aerial systems, prompted the Ministry to invest in the acquisition of UAV, UAS, USV and electronic drone warfare capabilities. As for the private sector, it has learned that it needs to be more alert and dynamic in developing unmanned systems, as well as in developing truly resilient and interoperable products in line with NATO standards. Finally, both sides concluded, among other things, that more efforts are needed to achieve the production of the “Romanian drone”.
