Ukraine could soon launch AI-coordinated swarms of Ruta cruise missiles
Ukraine's Ruta cruise missile (photo: Militarnyi)
Ukraine is close to being able to strike Russian forces with swarms of Ruta cruise missiles coordinated by an artificial intelligence-powered drone, according to Defense Express.
The military publication writes that Shield AI and Destinus successfully conducted a series of tests integrating the Hivemind combat artificial intelligence system into different types of drones.
The tests confirmed the possibility of autonomous drone control during flight and demonstrated how this could help operators respond more quickly to modern threats.
Three stages of testing
The first stage was a two-month integration of Hivemind into the Destinus Hornet drone. During flight tests, the drone independently updated its route according to the current mission.
The second stage involved creating a complete reconnaissance-strike network. The V-BAT reconnaissance drone joined the Hornet strike drones, acting as a communications relay and transmitting mission data to the strike drones.
Defense Express notes that the Hornet Block 2 can not only attack ground targets but also operate as an interceptor drone.
This opens up the possibility of creating an autonomous drone swarm capable of engaging targets on the ground and in the air simultaneously.
During the third stage, the companies practiced the full cycle of a combat mission.
The system provided:
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Autonomous route planning;
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Terrain-following flight;
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Target data updates during flight;
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Maneuver execution without operator involvement.
What comes next
"At the next stage, these capabilities will be transferred to the Destinus Ruta platform in Ukraine, enabling coordinated strike operations between V-BAT and multiple Ruta systems," the company said.
The exact timeline for testing such a concept has not yet been disclosed.
At the same time, Defense Express notes that the companies managed to complete all three stages of development in just a few months, significantly bringing closer the emergence of automated swarm capabilities for Ruta cruise missiles.
Ukraine previously completed the development of its first glide bomb, Vyrivniuvach, after nearly a year and a half of work.
Ukrainian manufacturers are also continuing to expand their range of unmanned systems designed to counter aerial threats.
In particular, Yartura introduced a new interceptor drone with a top speed of up to 450 kilometers per hour and protection against enemy electronic warfare systems.
In addition, a new generation of P1-SUN Long interceptor drones from SkyFall, equipped with elements of artificial intelligence, was unveiled in Ukraine.
