Britain has demonstrated its flagship drone swarming technology for the first time, simulating strikes on a Russian tank.
The AI-powered drones operate using a ‘hive mind’, scanning their surroundings to identify and attack targets.
Developed in just four months by a group of British defence firms, the warfare could soon be implemented across the Armed Forces.
It comes as part of a push by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to keep up with rapidly evolving drone technology, while Ukraine leads the way.
‘This is the direction of travel,’ said Guy Hennings Haahr, the land systems lead for Applied Intuition UK, which is creating the software.
‘We need to achieve mass lethality and critically, to remove soldiers from vulnerable parts of the battlefield.’
Eight drones took off in Usk, Monmouthshire this week, but the software could be used to power swarms involving hundreds in the future
Drones are used regularly on the frontlines of eastern Europe, and according to Mr Hennings Haahr China is also ‘most likely ahead of the UK’.
‘What’s terrifying is the pace of change and what our adversaries are demonstrating,’ he said. ‘We need to stay on the front foot.’
The Daily Mail watched eight quadcopters take off in Usk, Monmouthshire last week. But the software could be used to power swarms involving hundreds in the future.
In the display – the first of its kind in Britain – two drones scouted the area for targets including an inflatable T-90 battle tank, a BTR-80 armoured personnel carrier and a Grad rocket system.
Once found, the drones alerted their handlers – observing on screens in a nearby truck – who granted permission for them to attack.
The technology, developed by Applied Intuition UK, is autonomous. The drones gather information about their surroundings, communicate it to each other, and act on it.
However, under international law, they require sign-off from a human to use lethal force.
Applied Intuition insists this will remain the case. But the use of AI to conduct killings has sparked controversy.
The technology, developed by Applied Intuition UK, is autonomous, but the drones require sign-off from a human to use lethal force
Iain Lamont, the head of Applied Intuition, said: ‘It’s just the evolution of warfare.
‘This feels different because it’s operated from behind a screen. But we’ve gone from being toe to toe with spears, to machine guns, and so on.’
Mr Lamont, a former colonel who served for 24 years and helped bring the Army into the age of AI, added: ‘People almost viewed drones as toys, or trinkets, on the battlefield. But the rate of change we’ve seen in Ukraine has been eye-watering.’
He points to the amount of casualties now caused by drones – more than 90 per cent at recent points during the war.
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AI has become indispensable in Ukraine’s fight, not only through drones, but also unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), which are regularly deployed to rescue wounded soldiers and deliver supplies.
In the first quarter of this year, UGVs were used in more than 21,000 missions in Ukraine that previously would have been conducted by humans.
So far, Applied Intuition has carried out more than 200 test flights of its swarming technology.
It won a contract to refine the UK’s swarming capabilities from the Defence and Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL) in February.
The first phase of the project is now complete, and the company is waiting to see if it will receive further funding.
The Government’s defence investment plan (DIP) was due to be published last autumn, setting out how funding will be allocated.
However, it has been delayed amid a row between the MoD and the Treasury, which has left many firms in limbo.
‘It is not trivial to develop drone swarming,’ Mr Hennings Haahr said. ‘It takes a lot of time and skill.
‘As far as we’re concerned, we’re not here to do science experiments. We’re here to field capability into the hands of the warfighter.
‘In order to do that we need investment. We need the DIP to be published.’
