US company Auterion announces AI drone breakthrough allowing one soldier to control multiple drones, shortening decision-to-impact time.
Breakthrough in Warfare: Shortening the ‘Death Chain’
During the 4-year war in Ukraine, several changes in the way fights are being conducted have been observed. From quick raids of large armored columns, to positional warfare and masses of drones massacring enemy infantry. To this day, the fight relies on FPV drones, but Americans have taken a step further.
A breakthrough in conducting drone attacks was announced on January 19 by the company Auterion, which has been testing its systems in Ukraine for many months. Over the past year, it has delivered over 30,000 Skynod Strike kits to Kyiv.
So What Is the Revolution?
The new solution allows breaking away from the previously used system where one person is responsible for operating one FPV drone. Thanks to the use of Artificial Intelligence, the soldier only has one task – indicating targets. The attacks are then carried out independently by AI-controlled drones.
After making corrections taking into account experiences from the Ukrainian front, the company conducted tests on a firing range in Florida on January 13. In the presence of representatives of various types of US military, one soldier, using one console, led to the destruction of three simulated targets.
“The goal is not simply to deploy more drones, but to shorten the chain of death, so that the interval between human decision and kinetic effect is shorter than the enemy’s reaction time. According to this logic, the software coordinates many disposable platforms and their sensors, while people focus on target selection, combat rules, and general mission assumptions,” experts from Army Recognition inform.
US Army Moves to Artificial Intelligence
Experts analyzing the success of the experiment point to the breakthrough it may bring in conducting future wars. From now on, one team will be able to conduct attacks with simultaneous use of even dozens of drones, and the soldiers will be limited only by equipment availability.
The benefits of the deepest possible application of AI in future combat operations have been recognized by the US Department of War. It announced on January 12 the entry into force of the Artificial Intelligence Acceleration Strategy. The program, consisting of 7 segments, is to fully integrate the military with Artificial Intelligence and industry.
“We will unleash experiments, eliminate bureaucratic barriers, concentrate our investments, and demonstrate the approach to implementation necessary for us to be a leader in military artificial intelligence. We will become a combat force that relies on artificial intelligence in all areas,” said Pete Hegseth, head of the Department of War.
Auterion’s Versatile System
The company Auterion ensures that its system can be successfully used not only during offensive operations. It can also be useful in combating enemy drones, as in the entire process, human decisions will be limited to indicating targets.
