German General Says Ukraine War Cuts Targeting From Hours to Seconds
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jul 14
German General Says Ukraine War Cuts Targeting From Hours to Seconds
3 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jul 14
Summary
Heico Hübner, vice chief of the German Army, said Ukraine’s war shows military advantage now hinges on how fast forces innovate, integrate new tools and turn them into battlefield effect.
Seconds-long kill chains are replacing hours-long ones, he said, as drones, sensors, electromagnetic surveillance and AI compress the time from detection to engagement.
Ukraine has accelerated that cycle through systems such as Delta, which fuses satellite, unit and drone intelligence to link sensors, commanders and weapons with fewer delays.
NATO allies are already adapting: the UK has partnered with Palantir on AI capabilities tested in Ukraine, and its 2025 defence review called for decision-making at “machine-speed.”
Weeks, not years, are becoming the benchmark for adaptation, Hübner and other NATO officials said, warning Western procurement and weapons-development systems remain too slow for modern war.