Why Low-Cost, Mass Produced ‘Crude’ Weapons Are Beating America’s Most Advanced Systems On The Battlefield | World News

Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine’s defense industry is warning the West that relying solely on expensive, high-tech weapons against a powerful rival like Russia is a risky strategy. The key to surviving a long and intense war is to have a large number of reliable and affordable weapons that can keep the fight going and quickly recoup losses.

Serhiy Goncharov, CEO of the National Association of Defense Industry of Ukraine, which represents about 100 Ukrainian companies, told Business Insider that Western militaries’ long focus on a limited number of ultra-advanced systems could be a serious disadvantage in a protracted conflict. “It’s good to have these systems, but mass is important,” he said.

Mass Production Status

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has shown that a handful of highly precise and expensive weapons are no match for the scale and speed of attritional warfare.

Goncharov highlighted that the US M982 Excalibur guided projectile, worth about $100,000 each, is much less effective when the enemy uses electronic warfare and conventional artillery shells, which are 30 times cheaper and available in enormous quantities.

“The M107 self-propelled gun, first fielded by the United States in the 1960s, proves that cheap firepower can be devastatingly effective when used in sufficient numbers,” Goncharov said.

“You don’t need 10 Archers from Sweden, which is probably one of the best artillery systems in the world. Instead you need 200 cheaper howitzers like our Bohdana, produced in Ukraine.”

Ukraine’s heavy losses in ammunition and equipment demonstrate the necessity of constant supplies. High-end weapons may not always deliver the game-changing impact promised, but a constant flow of reliable and affordable weapons keeps the war alive.

Russia’s Strategy of Attrition

The invasion of Russia relied heavily on artillery and massive ammunition expenditures, paralleling the devastating battles of the First and Second World Wars. The Kremlin’s ability to absorb high casualties stems from its large army and population, which allows it to wage a war of attrition for months and years.

Russia has lost more than 3,600 main battle tanks and almost 8,000 armored vehicles since February 2022, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. With far fewer resources, Ukraine faced serious shortages of weapons, ammunition and manpower. While the country is turning to cheap unmanned aerial vehicles for asymmetric warfare, Russia is similarly using crewless systems in warfare.

Real Time Western Lessons

Ukraine’s warnings are taken seriously throughout Europe. Defense ministers and industry leaders are re-evaluating Western military strategies in light of Russia’s approach.

Former Lithuanian Defense Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis emphasized the “massive quantities” approach to warfare, noting that while the West focused on systems that were expensive and slow to produce, Russia was building forces that were cheap, expendable and rapidly deployable.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen echoed this, saying the conflict showed that greater quantities of affordable weapons were needed to counter threats from both Russia and China.

NATO Secretary Mark Rutte also called for faster and more pragmatic procurement, suggesting that perfection is ideal, but the most important thing is speed and adequate quality. “Ukraine can operate effectively with equipment that scores six or seven out of ten, whereas NATO usually insists on nine or ten,” he said.

Michael O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution emphasized that Western militaries are used to short and decisive conflicts, not long-term wars of attrition. He added that advanced systems remain important, but quantity and pragmatism cannot be ignored.

UK Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard similarly said the war had exposed outdated procurement practices. “We manufacture and supply really expensive, high-end kit,” he said, adding: “It takes five years to run a procurement challenge and another ten years to build it.”

Adapts to the Industry

European defense manufacturers are paying attention. Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics, emphasized the importance of aligning production with battlefield realities. “It’s better to have a hundred simpler pieces of equipment than 10 very complex pieces,” he said.

Mass production allows the industry to meet real demand rather than chasing a handful of high-end contracts that could fail in constant conflict scenarios.

In a war defined by volume and attrition, the West must rethink its obsession with perfection, Goncharov warns. Success will come from speed, numbers and practicality as well as versatility.