The war in Ukraine is profoundly changing the way modern conflicts are conducted, but Western armies are adapting too slowly to the lessons learned on the front lines, warns retired Australian General Mick Ryan, former commander of the Australian Army and military analyst.
In an interview with the publication Kyiv Post, Ryan states that the West needs „less arrogance and more humility” to truly understand what works in Ukraine’s war against Russia.
Ryan, who commanded troops at various levels and was a strategist at the US Joint Staff, argues that the experience gained by Ukrainians must be rapidly incorporated into NATO doctrines. Not through mere replication, but by adapting the lessons to the realities of each allied state.
The West Still Not Learning Enough from the Ukraine War
The general emphasizes that the war in Ukraine is unique, and each NATO country must filter the frontline experience through its own geographic and strategic context.
"The question is no longer whether there are lessons to be learned. This has been convincingly answered in the last four and a half years. The challenge is how you take what you see in Donbas and adapt it to the Finnish border or other regions," Ryan affirms.
He believes that this is where Western armies encounter the greatest difficulties.
"We need less arrogance and a little more humility from Western military organizations," says the former general, criticizing the tendency of some armies to believe that their own doctrines are sufficient without fully leveraging the experience gained by Ukraine.
Drones Do Not Replace Artillery
One of the conclusions Ryan considers mistaken is the idea that drone success on the battlefield diminishes the importance of traditional artillery. According to him, the reality on the front lines shows the opposite.
"If you go to any Ukrainian brigade on the front line, you will see one or two artillery battalions and one or two drone battalions. Any Ukrainian brigade commander will tell you that you need both drones and artillery. They are complementary," he states.
The general explains that drones cannot always operate in foggy or unfavorable weather conditions, while artillery can continue to target objectives.
In this context, the argument that investments in ammunition and shells are no longer necessary because drones have become dominant represents, in his view, "a flawed analysis" and even a sign of "intellectual bankruptcy" in how the future of war is conceived.
The "Death of the Tank" is a Myth
Ryan also rejects the theory that tanks have lost their relevance on the battlefield due to drones. "The reality is that the tank has not died, but it is being used differently," he says.
According to the former commander, nearly every Ukrainian brigade continues to have a company or even a battalion of tanks. The difference is that these are no longer used in massive attacks, as during the Cold War, but integrated together with drones, infantry, and other strike systems.
Ryan points out that armies in the Indo-Pacific region are also continuing to purchase new tanks alongside massive investments in drones. "The issue is not the technology but how we use it," he summarizes.
China is Already Learning from the Ukraine War
In Ryan's view, one of the biggest mistakes the West could make is to think that only Ukraine and Russia draw lessons from the conflict. He says that Beijing is carefully analyzing not only drone use but the entire conduct of the war.
"China has studied this war. Not just drone operations. It has studied how Western countries make political decisions, industrial production, strategic coercion, information warfare, and alliance management," the general affirms.
Therefore, he says, Western states also need to learn quickly, adapting the lessons to their own geographic and strategic conditions.
In the case of Australia, for example, the challenges are different from those in Europe, but the experience gained by Ukraine remains extremely valuable for both ground operations and the use of naval drones.
Western Military Personnel Should Learn Directly from Ukrainians
Ryan believes that allies would benefit from closer collaboration with the Ukrainian army, including through exchange of experiences and training programs. He expresses a desire for Ukrainian military personnel to teach in Australian military schools and states that Western soldiers are eager to learn directly from those who have been fighting against the Russian army for over four years.
"Professional soldiers want to learn from those with the most valuable experience. That's why they want to be alongside Ukrainians and see firsthand how they fight," says the former general.
In his view, the obstacle is not lack of interest from military personnel but the caution of political decision-makers, who hesitate to take on the risks of closer forms of cooperation with Ukraine.
For Ryan, the conclusion is clear: the war in Ukraine is rewriting the rules of modern conflicts, and Western states cannot afford to ignore the lessons this conflict offers. "It's not about copying Ukraine but having the humility to learn from it," is the message from the former general.
G.P.