PHONES ON THE FRONTLINE

In modern conflicts, smartphones have become an essential tool for civilians and soldiers

- WORDS LOUIS HARDIMAN

Vladyslav Morozov wakes in eastern Ukraine. In the orange and deep purple dawn light, he spots the armoured troop carriers of a Russian convoy advancing through the outskirts of his town. It's heading to the frontline, where artillery rumbles day and night. After discreetly taking pictures on his smartphone, Morozov shares the intelligence with his country's military through the eVorog app. Others have done the same, allowing intelligence services to track the convoy's journey towards the frontline. Ukrainian military planners receive the data. Within hours, Ukrainian HIMARS rocket artillery strikes the convoy and causes havoc among the Russian ranks.

The civilian in this imagined scenario has taken part in a kill chain, which is how a military force identifies and engages enemy targets. Kill chain models vary among militaries, but the most common is the F2T2EA model. The acronym stands for Find (identify the target), Fix (ensure the target is worthy of engagement), Track (monitor the target's movement), Target (select an appropriate weapon), Engage (attack the target) and Assess (evaluate the attack's effects).