Lost Debate War Will Never Be the Same
11 snips
Aug 20, 2025 
Ravi chats with Dexter Filkins, a renowned war correspondent and author of The Forever War, about the seismic shifts in modern warfare. They discuss how drones and AI are reshaping combat, particularly in Ukraine with innovative yet lethal tactics. Filkins highlights U.S. military readiness and contrasts it with China's influence in defense. The conversation dives into the moral implications of algorithmic warfare in conflicts like Gaza, revealing the ethical dilemmas posed by autonomous weaponry. This thought-provoking dialogue examines the future of warfare.
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Siberia Drone Operation
- Filkins spoke with the planner behind a long-range drone attack that reached Siberia and targeted Russian bomber silhouettes.
- Operators trained AI on bomber shapes using museum exhibits, allowing drones to autonomously seek specific aircraft.
Drones Favor Defense, Create Stalemates
- Drones favor the defender and have frozen large parts of the front, resembling World War I trench stalemates.
- High casualty counts accrue while territorial gains remain minimal because defenders can kill advancing forces en masse.
High-Value Assets Vulnerable To Cheap Swarms
- The U.S. holds expensive, limited platforms (F-35s, carriers) that are vulnerable to swarms of cheap, software-driven weapons.
- Adversaries could mass inexpensive autonomous systems to overwhelm and sink high-value American assets with long replacement timelines.
