MILANO – With the success of the Ukrainian battlefield, the number of European companies has increased, so we have launched fielding drones with the characteristics of artificial intelligence.
Ukraine's recent “Spider Web” tactics on June 1 – secret drone attacks carried out deep within Russia – were often overlooked. This is the support role that AI plays.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, AI-driven tools may have been important when training software for explosive first-person viewing drones. These tools allow drones to spot threats, show potential strike points for each and lead them to the target if they are confused about connecting with the operator.
The combination of drones and AI is becoming more common with new designs proposed by manufacturers.
At the recent drone summit in Estonia, a small number of Latvian drone companies introduced the current focus of AI targeting capabilities. Among them, Origin Robotics recently launched an autonomous drone interceptor created to destroy hostile unmanned aerial vehicles.
Called “Blaze”, this craft was trained with the help of AI to distinguish between different aircraft types and other objects. Once the system is locked to the target, it closes the target by destroying the warhead.
Last month, Finnish company Patria announced that it will lead the new joint AI-Identity War Adaptation Flock Platform, or the European Industry Consortium for AI-WASP.
The program, which includes Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Italy, Greece and Spain, aims to develop AI control software for use in small to medium-sized unmanned systems.
The project recently received 45 million euros ($53 million) from the European Commission.
Another company moving forward into the space is Czech manufacturer LPP Holding, who said it provided AI-guided drones to the Ukrainian military in May. According to the company's website, the company's MTS drones are equipped with AI-based visual navigation, designed specifically for areas where GPS is excluded.
The European defense industry is slowly using AI in unmanned systems, but experts say integration challenges remain, especially when it comes to onboard information.
“The question is data. What information is used to train a UAV to fly to a specific location or attack a specific target?” said Samuel Bendet, an advisor at the Navy Analysis Center. In the targeting sequence, data residing in drones is linked through external transmissions – the sole basis for strike decisions, and a challenge in rapidly changing battlefield situations, he added.
A recent report by the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies found that Ukraine chose to train small AI models on small datasets rather than creating large and broad templates.
“This approach allows for fast and efficient onboarding with the limited computing power of small, inexpensive chips. This can be updated and retrained quickly. These datasets can be collected through open source data from corporate battlefield operations or social media,” the report states.
Quantum Systems, a German-based drone manufacturer, recently announced Mosaic UXS, a software command and control platform for unmanned systems.
The company reports that machine learning allows mission planning and execution, and that each drone can plan swarm operations where it is tasked with completing individual missions.
Ukrainian defense companies are focusing on similar efforts by developing standalone AI software and compact chips that can be fused across a wide range of platforms, from FPV drones to turrets set up on unmanned ground vehicles.
Elizabeth Gosselin Maro is the European correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
