After years of active conflict, President Trump recently secured a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, declaring an enduring peace in the Middle East.
History constantly reminds us that peace declarations, especially in the Mideast, rarely translate into lasting stability unless they rest on a credible foundation of readiness and deterrence.
The same ideological rivalries, proxy conflicts, and shifting alliances that destabilized the region for decades continue to simmer beneath the surface.
Lessons from Israel, and Ukraine, have proven that modern air wars are not won solely by $20-million tanks or sophisticated fighter jets.
Full spectrum air wars now include fleets of small, intelligent, and relentlessly adaptive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly called "drones."
The U.S. has already internalized this lesson.
By announcing a $50-billion joint drone production deal with Ukraine, Washington has recognized that air superiority no longer lies exclusively with state-of-the-art aircraft but also with scalable, cost-effective unmanned systems.
Allied Mideastern powers need to immediately invest in drone-based deterrence and form strategic partnerships with Kyiv's defense innovators.
The proliferation of UAVs across the region is already well underway. Iran and its network of proxies have repeatedly launched drone strikes on Israeli and Western assets.
The Houthis have targeted Saudi oil facilities and commercial shipping routes using relatively inexpensive but highly disruptive drones.
These developments mark a new phase of warfare where even non-state actors can threaten regional giants. The low cost and high precision of drones have erased the old strategic calculus, making it imperative for Mideastern nations to respond not just defensively, but innovatively.
Paradoxically, Ukraine with a fraction of Russia’s military budget revealed how innovation can outweigh scale.
One of the primary reasons Ukraine has managed to withstand Russia’s full-scale invasion is the rapid emergence of a domestic drone ecosystem.
Within two years, Ukraine's defense landscape transformed from reliance on imported Western hardware to a vibrant homegrown industry producing everything from reconnaissance drones to lethal strike UAVs.
Among the most feared Ukrainian innovations are the nighttime bombers labelled "Baba Yaga." Heavy-lift UAVs such as Reactive Drone's Kazhan ("Bat") became particularly feared by Russian forces due to their devastating nighttime strike capabilities.
Equipped not only with daylight, but also with a thermal camera, the Ukrainian "Bat" drone is purpose-built for combat; and, unlike many commercial-grade Western drones, can be used for night-time operations out of the box.
Equally important is Ukraine’s creation of an integrated drone ecosystem.
Companies such as Reactive Drone have complemented their heavy bombers with reconnaissance UAVs like the Shmavic, which conduct real-time surveillance along the front lines and stream live footage directly to command centers.
Both systems — the Kazhan and the Shmavic — operate within a unified network, controlled from a single ground station and capable of sharing targeting data seamlessly.
This integration allows for synchronized operations, where reconnaissance drones identify enemy positions and bombers strike them within minutes.
For the Mideast, such a model carries a clear lesson that any nation equipped with interoperable, battle-tested drones would be far less vulnerable to attack.
The unmistakable signal to adversaries will be that any act of hostility will result in rapid, precise, and technologically coordinated retaliation.
Another powerful takeaway from Ukraine's experience is the necessity of local production. Cut off from consistent Western military aid, Ukraine had no choice but to innovate domestically.
This constraint turned into an advantage.
Having drone producers located near the frontlines created a dynamic feedback loop between battlefield needs and industrial production.
Engineers could integrate frontline feedback within days, not months, allowing for near-constant refinement and adaptation.
This is precisely what Mideastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar must now consider.
Rather than relying solely on foreign imports they should invest in joint ventures with Ukrainian drone firms, establishing local production hubs capable of rapid iteration and region-specific innovation.
Producing drones domestically would not only ensure availability during crises, but also empower local engineers and technicians, cultivating a skilled defense-industrial workforce attuned to regional challenges — from desert heat to maritime environments.
True technological deterrence is not achieved by simply stockpiling drones.
It comes from building a multifaceted ecosystem which should include localized joint ventures with Ukraine, technical training centers, maintenance infrastructure, and partnerships with experienced drone pilots.
Ukraine's success demonstrates that agility and constant innovation, rather than quantity alone, define military resilience.
With global fragmentation greater than ever, every region must take responsibility for its own security architecture.
The Mideast is no exception. As the U.S. capitalizes on Ukrainian innovation, the region cannot afford to lag behind.
Strategic collaboration with Kyiv's defense sector would provide access to proven battlefield technologies and offer a roadmap for sustainable, indigenous production.
Lasting peace does not emerge from treaties alone.
It is maintained through credible deterrence.
Drones, with their versatility and accessibility, have become the new equalizer of power.
If the Mideast wishes to secure its stability in the coming decades, it must reinforce declarations with strong deterrence. A critical part of that strength includes fleets of drones, produced at home and maintained "at the ready" by regional resilience.
Col. (Retired) Wes Martin - a retired U.S. Army colonel, has served in law enforcement positions globally. He holds a MBA in International Politics and Business. Read reports from Col. Wes Martin — More Here.
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