From MALE to small tactical, and from stand-off to stand-in is not just a slogan
April 17th, 2025
For decades, Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) symbolized the gold standard of modern airpower. Systems like the MQ-9 Reaper, the Heron, and Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2 dominated battlefields with their ability to loiter for hours, deliver high-fidelity intelligence, and strike targets with deadly precision from safe stand-off distances. But war is a brutal innovator, and the conflict in Ukraine has marked a decisive turning point — a shift from MALE to small tactical, and from stand-off to stand-in UAV operations.
At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian forces made brilliant use of the Bayraktar TB2, achieving viral successes that captured global attention. Videos of Russian armor columns being devastated by UAV-directed strikes defined the early war narrative. However, as the conflict evolved, so too did Russian countermeasures. Mobile air defenses, electronic warfare systems, and a dense air defense network turned the skies into a far deadlier environment for slow, high-flying drones. The Bayraktar, once a hero of the war’s opening months, was rendered nearly irrelevant as survivability demands overwhelmed its advantages.
In its place rose a new generation of small tactical UAVs, platforms that were not only cheaper and easier to replace, but also more survivable, more agile, and better aligned with the emerging needs of a high-intensity, attrition-heavy battlefield. These systems represented not just a technological evolution, but a complete conceptual shift in the role of unmanned systems in modern warfare.
Small tactical UAVs offer a trifecta of advantages that larger systems simply cannot match. First and foremost is cost. A single MALE drone, with its advanced sensors, satellite communications, and maintenance demands, can cost tens of millions of dollars to procure and sustain. A small tactical drone, by contrast, can be produced and fielded at a fraction of the price. This means that losses — inevitable in a contested environment — are far less painful strategically and financially. Militaries can afford to saturate the battlespace with numerous small drones, maintaining persistent ISR coverage even as individual platforms are lost.
Equally important is survivability. Small UAVs present a much lower radar cross-section, reduced infrared signatures, and often fly at altitudes and profiles that make them harder to detect and engage. They are harder to track, harder to target, and when downed, they represent only a minor loss in capability. Rather than relying on staying far away from threats — the hallmark of the stand-off model — small tactical UAVs embrace stand-in operations, penetrating contested areas and operating directly over enemy forces.
Finally, the logistical advantages are profound. Large MALE systems require dedicated airfields, protected bases, trained crews, satellite links, and extensive support infrastructure. Small tactical UAVs, in contrast, can be launched by hand, from catapults, or with minimal ground equipment. Their portability and low footprint allow units at the company or battalion level to field and operate their own drones independently, increasing the responsiveness and granularity of ISR capabilities at every echelon.
Critically, technological advancements in sensors and mission payloads have accelerated this trend. Where once only a large UAV could carry high-resolution EO/IR cameras, synthetic aperture radar, or electronic warfare suites, today these capabilities have been miniaturized. A payload of just 15 kilograms can now satisfy up to 90% of the ISR requirements that previously necessitated a large drone. In essence, the argument for size has collapsed; the technological edge once exclusive to MALE platforms is now accessible to systems light enough to fit in the back of a pickup truck.
Ukraine’s experience has proven the operational value of small tactical UAVs in practice, not theory. Facing a numerically superior opponent, Ukrainian forces adapted quickly, integrating a wide array of donated and indigenously produced small drones into their arsenal. The German-made Vector systems by Quantum Systems, combining vertical take-off and fixed-wing endurance, became critical assets for ISR missions over contested areas. Meanwhile, the ScanEagle UAVs provided by Insitu (a Boeing subsidiary) offered long-endurance surveillance and target spotting at a fraction of the cost and footprint of a MALE drone.
The American V-BAT system, developed by Shield AI, introduced flexible and highly mobile ISR options, with its single ducted fan allowing for vertical launch and landing in cluttered, unprepared environments. Similarly, the AR3 systems from Tekever, known for their maritime applications, found new relevance in supporting Ukraine’s coastal defense and anti-shipping operations in the Black Sea region. Each of these platforms embodied the new logic of UAV operations: small, adaptable, and deeply integrated into frontline units.
The contrast between these platforms and the early-war usage of Bayraktar TB2s could not be starker. Where the TB2s operated in relatively permissive environments early on, achieving stunning effects before Russia’s air defenses adapted, small tactical UAVs have thrived precisely because they can operate under heavy threat. Their ability to swarm, persist, and return valuable data — or, if needed, deliver precision-guided munitions — has kept them relevant in a way that MALE systems could no longer manage.
Moreover, these small tactical UAVs are not just passive sensors. Increasingly, they are being armed with precise boutique armament — miniature guided bombs, loitering munitions, and even anti-armor payloads designed specifically for light drones. This has blurred the line between ISR and strike capabilities, allowing small units to not only detect enemy forces but to engage them directly without waiting for artillery or air support.
The implications are clear: the future of UAV warfare lies not in bigger and more complex systems, but in swarms of smaller, smarter, and more agile drones that can survive in the most contested environments. The battlefield of tomorrow will be saturated with these systems, each one a node in a vast web of intelligence, surveillance, targeting, and strike capabilities.
From the open fields of Donetsk to the dense forests of Kherson, the lesson is the same: from MALE to small tactical, and from stand-off to stand-in is not just a slogan — it is the future of aerial warfare. As militaries around the world digest the hard lessons of Ukraine, those who invest in flexible, distributed, and resilient UAV capabilities will have a decisive edge. The era of the mighty but vulnerable MALE drone is ending. In its place rises a new paradigm — one defined by resilience, affordability, and tactical agility.
Alon Ben-Gal, Chief Analyst at ABG-SC, Unmanned Network and UAS Global Insights
Chen Lustig – Senior Analyst, ABG-SC and UAS Global Insights