How Low-Cost Cruise Missiles and OWA Drones Are Moving the Counter-Force Fight Upstream

Quwa assesses that low-cost cruise missiles and one-way attack drones are reducing the dependence of long-range strike forces on fixed airfields and specialized combat aircraft. Its October 30 analysis examines deployment through cargo aircraft, standard shipping containers and trucks, allowing launch capacity to be dispersed across more locations and platform types. Ukraine's June 2025 Operation Spiderweb and the India-Pakistan missile exchanges illustrate different approaches to attacking an opponent's strike infrastructure. The central argument is that counter-force planning must increasingly consider propulsion suppliers, component factories and targeting networks, presented as an analytical assessment rather than a newly adopted military doctrine.