In Ukraine, a few startups are developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to operate a vast fleet of drones, pushing warfare into new realms as both sides seek a technological edge. Ukraine aims to deploy AI-enabled drones along the front line to counter increasing signal jamming by Russian forces and enable UAVs to operate in larger groups.
AI drone development in Ukraine focuses on visual systems for target identification and navigation, terrain mapping, and complex programs that allow UAVs to work in interconnected “swarms.”
Key Players and Innovations
Swarmer is one company developing software to link drones in a network, enabling instantaneous decision implementation across the group, with humans only intervening to approve automated strikes. “When you try to scale up with human pilots, it just doesn’t work,” said Swarmer CEO Serhiy Kupriienko. “For a swarm of 10 or 20 drones or robots, it’s virtually impossible for humans to manage them.”
Swarmer is one of over 200 tech firms that have emerged since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, with many civilians from IT backgrounds creating drones and devices to help Ukraine counter a much larger enemy. Kupriienko noted that while human pilots struggle to manage more than five drones, AI can handle hundreds.
Swarmer’s system, called Styx, coordinates a web of reconnaissance and strike drones, both large and small, in the air and on the ground. Each drone can plan its own moves and predict the behavior of others in the swarm. This automation not only scales up operations but also protects drone pilots who operate close to the front lines and are prime targets for enemy fire.
Although Swarmer’s technology is still under development and has only been experimentally trialed on the battlefield, experts like Samuel Bendett from the Center for a New American Security emphasize the need for a human in the loop to prevent errors in target selection.
Ethical and Practical Concerns
There are significant ethical concerns regarding weapons that exclude human judgment. A 2020 European Parliament research paper warned that such systems could violate international humanitarian law and lower the threshold for going to war.
Despite these concerns, AI is already used in some of Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes targeting military facilities and oil refineries deep inside Russia. A Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, said these attacks sometimes involve swarms of about 20 drones, where some core drones fly to the target while others distract or take out air defenses using AI with human oversight.
Countering Signal Jamming
The need for AI-enabled drones is growing as both sides deploy Electronic Warfare (EW) systems that disrupt signals between pilots and drones. Small, cheap, FPV (first person view) drones, a primary method for hitting enemy vehicles in 2023, are increasingly affected by jamming, reducing their effectiveness.
Max Makarchuk, AI lead for Brave1, a Ukrainian government defense tech accelerator, said, “We are already working with the concept that in the near future, there will be no connection on the front line between pilot and UAV.” Current FPV drones have strike rates of 30-50%, and for new pilots, it can be as low as 10%. AI-operated FPV drones could achieve hit rates of around 80%.
To counter EW threats, companies like Swarmer are developing features allowing drones to lock onto targets through their cameras. Automating the final approach to the target means the drone no longer needs pilot control, nullifying the EW jamming effect.
Cost and Development
AI-enabled drones have been in development for years but were previously seen as expensive and experimental. Before the 2022 invasion, Russia had been developing AI-enabled aerial and ground drones with some claimed successes.
In Ukraine, the key task is to create an affordable AI targeting system for drones that can be deployed en masse along the 1,000 km (621 mile) front line, where thousands of FPV drones are used weekly. Costs can be reduced by using AI programs on a Raspberry Pi, a small, cheap computer originally designed for educational purposes. Makarchuk estimated the cost of adding a simple targeting system, which locks onto shapes visible to the drone’s camera, at about $150 per drone.
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