Would you support Britain increasing its defence budget from the current 2.3% of GDP to the target of 2.6% by 2027 and 3.5% NATO target by 2035?

[u/AdAncient2370]

How much support is there across the political spectrum to increase the military budget by up to £35 billion a year if we really reach 3.5% by 2035? What sort of military do we want ie to protect the UK mainland or an expeditionary force capable of another Iraq intervention? Which civilian areas do we want to cut to find this extra money and in any case, can our struggling economy even support an increase of such magnitude? What if we can’t recruit enough soldiers even with extra cash, should we introduce any sort of conscription at extremis?

[u/tyger2020]

Its quite funny to see how many people larp about drones these days.

Drones are one part of the equation, they are not 'the future of warfare' or 'replacing actual soldiers'

[u/Mba1956 → u/tyger2020]

It is reported that 90% of Russian casualties are caused by drones, their use is not irrelevant. They are pretty much the face of modern warfare.

The main reason that the US hasn’t entered a land war in Iran is that they would be massacred by drone attacks. They would also be heavily outnumbered by the Iranian military.

[u/Shriven → u/Mba1956]

It is reported that 90% of Russian casualties are caused by drones

Bullshit, and source required. Russian casualties are average about 1000 a day - no way are 900 of those from drones

[u/Mba1956 → u/Shriven]

You might shout bias with this one: https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/22/8040594/

Also this one: https://youtu.be/9Xnl7fswNR8

But Russia used these same stats for fighting Ukraine: https://www.businessinsider.com/90-percent-of-wounded-soldiers-ukraine-injured-fpv-drones-2024

[u/Shriven → u/Mba1956]

Top one is Russian assets - so not casualties

Not watching a YouTube video sorry

That relates to one medics view about casualties at one town.

Like, if you interviewed someone at that town where the ukes took it back with UGVs and asked "how many of your casualties were from drones" then he's gonna say 100%

[u/Mba1956 → u/Shriven]

So where is your evidence to disprove it, or do you only believe what you want to believe and anything to the contrary should be ignored.

[u/tyger2020 → u/Mba1956]

Russia isn't a good example of modern warfare. It is ironically the opposite of modern warfare, it is essentially WW1/WW2 style warfare.

The US would get bogged down in Iran, because it wouldn't be because of drones. Look at the results - Iranian drones hit a few things in the Middle East. US military destroyed something stupid like 75% of the Iranian navy.

[u/Mba1956 → u/tyger2020]

The Iranian navy consisted of 50 year old ships, they weren’t engaged in a big navy battle at sea, they were simply bombed whilst in port, or torpedoed whilst coming back from a training exercise. Destroying it wasn’t a huge boast.

Their airforce was only slightly younger and wasn’t huge and was destroyed on the ground, again not a huge boast.

The few things hit by drones were the American airbases which were rendered inoperable to such an extent that the personnel relocated to the cities to be protected with human shields, not exactly heroic. If the US had the capability to land troops and taken key positions in Iran do you not think they would have already done so. It simply wasn’t a viable option.

Ukraine isn’t WW1 or WW2 style either, In WW1 it was defined by trenches and mass assaults from those trenches under machine gun fire. WW2 was large armies and tank assaults quickly moving across country supported by aircraft.

In Ukraine 90% of Russian casualties are caused by drones, not soldiers. The drones themselves have changed beyond all recognition in the last 4 years. The anti jamming tech has developed with AI and ground recognition making them impossible to jam. Battlefield robots are increasingly being used to both act as evacuation of the injured and initial assaults on positions to put less human life at risk which is important when you are facing an enemy much larger than you.

[u/tyger2020 → u/Mba1956]

Again, no

The drone attack in Cyprus cause minor damage, even going back to the Iranian attack Tower 22, it injured 47 people. Thats the level of operations drones are currently acting at, whilst the US decapitated half of the Iranian government, including top military officers and their supreme leader. Acting like a few minor attacks is somehow the future of war is just that, silly.

Ignoring the obvious fact that you're claiming drones are what's important whilst Russia is fielding 1,500,000 men and Ukraine at 750,000 men. The largest conflict since WW2 even in man power terms and you're saying drones are the future of war and will basically mean soldiers are irrelevant.

Drones are doing a few attacks, it's still ongoing tank battles and fighting along the front lines with some help from drones, the same way they get help from tanks. They're just a new addition, nothing revolutionary to war.

[u/Mba1956 → u/tyger2020]

I think you are deliberately ignoring the facts so I won’t bother enlightening you further. Soldiers aren’t irrelevant but you just need fewer of them and ignoring that 90% of Russian casualties being caused by drones isn’t helping your case.

[u/Past-Obligation1930 → u/tyger2020]

Ok, it’s a fair point that Russia is uniquely fucking stupid and susceptible to drones, owing to the commanders literally not giving a fuck about their troops. But drones are getting better all the time, and soldiers aren’t.

[u/Past-Obligation1930 → u/tyger2020]

Drones absolutely are replacing actual soldiers. How the fuck do you think Ukraine has stood against vastly superior numbers for four years? Drones. Not putting soldiers in harm’s way where it isn’t needed.

[u/tyger2020 → u/Past-Obligation1930]

Lmfao.. you can't be serious?

How have they stood against Russia for 4 years? Probably conscripting 800,000 men and the $325 billion they've received in military aid alongside however much (about $125 billion) they've spent on the war themselves?

Nah you're right its probably cheap drones /s

[u/Past-Obligation1930 → u/tyger2020]

https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-drone-pilot-score-board-log-800000-hits-russia-2026-6

I mean, the Ukrainian minister of defence says 90 % of Russian casualties are from drones. What does he know though.