Revolution on the Frontline: Ukraine Pioneers AI Drone Swarm Warfare
Ukraine became the first country to routinely use swarms of drones with artificial intelligence on the battlefield, and is now preparing to test even larger-scale operations with over a hundred drones.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to The Wall Street Journal.
Analysts say these previously unknown attacks are the first known routine use of swarm technology in combat, underscoring Ukraine's position at the forefront of drone warfare.
Such systems allow groups of drones to coordinate their actions after launch and make decisions without constant operator control. This means that drones can independently determine which of them will attack, adapt to changing conditions — for example, when one of the devices loses battery power — and act more cohesively.
The Ukrainian military has been using the software from Swarmer for over a year to attack Russian positions. The system has made it possible to significantly reduce the number of personnel needed to control the drones and increase the effectiveness of operations.
“You set the target and the drones do the rest,” said the company`s Chief Executive Serhii Kupriienko. “They work together, they adapt.”
Usually, only three people are involved in a mission, whereas without artificial intelligence, nine would be needed.
“You don’t require a separate pilot for each drone, one pilot can work with many drones,” Kupriienko said.
Currently, attacks are mostly carried out by small groups of drones — three or eight devices. However, Swarmer is preparing to test large-scale swarms consisting of 100 or more drones. Experts emphasize that even this relatively low level of autonomy is an important breakthrough in the development of military technology.
Despite their promise, swarm drones make war more expensive. Ukraine, which produced more than 1.5 million drones last year, still faces the fact that the cost of artificial intelligence increases the price of each machine. At the same time, the efficiency and potential for reducing human resources make the technology extremely valuable in confronting a more numerous enemy.
Moreover, the growing use of artificial intelligence in warfare raises serious ethical concerns. The UN is calling for the regulation of autonomous weapons, as there is a risk that machines will make life-and-death decisions without human involvement.
“Folks have been talking about the potential of drone swarms to change warfare for decades,” said Zak Kallenborn, a drone-warfare expert at King’s College London. “But until now, they’ve been more prophecy than reality.”
As The Gaze informed earlier, the Ukrainian army is developing a Kill Web system, which allows the battlefield to be viewed as a single network.