Russian Tech Converts Drone Swarms into Attack Dogs

Russia’s Rostec State Corporation specialists have developed a technology for the group deployment of attack drones.

Combat drones in this system automatically exchange target data with each other. The solution has undergone preliminary testing at a test site, engaging practical targets.

The solution is based on the Supercam unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It includes aircraft-type loitering munitions, modified for data transmission, launchers, and a vehicle-mounted control center.

"During tests, a group of drones hovered over the area in target search mode. The first drone to detect a target transmitted the data to the rest of the system's drones. The target was then confirmed by a human operator, after which it was engaged by all drones in the group.

With this technology, one person can control ten loitering munitions simultaneously. Upon detection, the system's neural network automatically 'identifies' the targets and assigns tasks to the loitering munitions—the order in which they attack and which drone maintains objective control. Testing of the system will continue," Rostec State Corporation reported.

In the future, the technology of group interaction of drones could be effective in overcoming enemy air defenses, as well as in guaranteeing the destruction of the most complex targets with a concentrated strike.

The tests were conducted as part of a project by the Foundation for Advanced Research Projects with the support of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.