Last month, at the Brookings Institution, a century-old American think tank, Vice Chief of Staff General James C. Slife discussed how the US Air Force is reassessing its approach to air superiority in response to the growing threat of small, low-cost drones.

In recent years, these high-tech gadgets have become advantageous and pesky devices that significantly impact modern warfare.

Here’s a recap of Slife’s talk on the matter.

Why Drones are the New Headache in Warfare

Unless you’ve been living with blinders on, you’ve likely heard that recent hot zones, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East, have highlighted the rapid proliferation of drones.

These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), whether they’re carrying primary explosives or equipped with high-tech surveillance gear, have shown themselves to be tough opponents, as we’ve covered in many of our past articles.

Drones’ ability to operate in swarms, at low altitudes, and with minimal radar signature has also rendered traditional air defense systems less effective.

“We used to make the claim that since 1953, no American has been killed by air attack,” Slife said at the Brookings Institution’s event last July 29, cited by Air&Space Force Magazine.

Slife stressed that the idea of air superiority needs to shift from the high-altitude dominance of the Cold War to include today’s more complex, multi-domain battlespace. The Cold War is long over and we need to look toward the future with fresh eyes.