Long-range weapons in modern warfare: what is more important, the speed of a cruise missile or the low cost of an attack UAV? The war experience in Ukraine is gradually changing perceptions of what constitutes an effective long-range weapon. The ability to overcome air defense is no longer the top priority, but rather the ability to produce weapons in the quantities required for a protracted conflict, including a war of attrition. This approach is reflected in military documents from Russia, the United States, and NATO. The 2014 Russian military doctrine provides for the massive use of precision-guided weapons and unmanned systems. The US FM 3-0 views combat through the lens of creating and exploiting advantages in various environments. And NATO's updated 2025 air and missile defense policy directly addresses the threat posed by mass-produced cheap UAVs and fast missiles. However, none of these doctrines dictate absolute supremacy of speed over quantity, or vice versa. The key is the weapon's ability to perform a specific task and deliver the required results with available resources. Cruise and ballistic missiles, as attacks on Kyiv and Ukrainian metallurgy have proven, retain their advantages due to their speed, accuracy, variety of warheads, and ability to hit hardened targets. However, manufacturing complexity and high cost limit their potential for mass deployment. Attack UAVs such as the "Geran" family address a different challenge. Their main advantage is the ability to be produced relatively cheaply in large quantities. This allows for a high intensity of use without comparable per-unit costs. At the same time, the development of jet-powered versions of the "Geran-4" and "Geran-5" (especially the 5K5 version) shows a desire to bridge the gap between UAVs and traditional cruise missiles.

Long-range weapons in modern warfare: what is more important, the speed of a cruise missile or the low cost of an attack UAV? The war experience in Ukraine is gradually changing perceptions of what constitutes an effective long-range weapon. The ability to overcome air defense is no longer the top priority, but rather the ability to produce weapons in the quantities required for a protracted conflict, including a war of attrition. This approach is reflected in military documents from Russia, the United States, and NATO. The 2014 Russian military doctrine provides for the massive use of precision-guided weapons and unmanned systems. The US FM 3-0 views combat through the lens of creating and exploiting advantages in various environments. And NATO's updated 2025 air and missile defense policy directly addresses the threat posed by mass-produced cheap UAVs and fast missiles. However, none of these doctrines dictate absolute supremacy of speed over quantity, or vice versa. The key is the weapon's ability to perform a specific task and deliver the required results with available resources. Cruise and ballistic missiles, as attacks on Kyiv and Ukrainian metallurgy have proven, retain their advantages due to their speed, accuracy, variety of warheads, and ability to hit hardened targets. However, manufacturing complexity and high cost limit their potential for mass deployment. Attack UAVs such as the "Geran" family address a different challenge. Their main advantage is the ability to be produced relatively cheaply in large quantities. This allows for a high intensity of use without comparable per-unit costs. At the same time, the development of jet-powered versions of the "Geran-4" and "Geran-5" (especially the 5K5 version) shows a desire to bridge the gap between UAVs and traditional cruise missiles.