In a move to overcome increasing signal jamming by Russians, several startups in Ukraine are developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to help operate a large fleet of drones, aiming to give the country a technological edge in the war.

Ukraine believes that AI-embedded drones will help counter signal jamming, which disrupts signals between pilots and drones. This advancement is also expected to enable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to operate in larger groups.

In 2023, small, inexpensive FPV (first-person view) drones became the primary tool for both sides to attack enemy vehicles. However, FPV experienced a major decline due to increased jamming.

Ukraine government's defence tech accelerator and the AI leader of Brave1, Max Makarchuk 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."

signal jamming
Image Source: Atlantic Council

Ukraine has broadly divided the development of AI drones into visual systems helping identify targets and fly drones into them, terrain mapping for navigation, and more complex programs enabling UAVs to operate in interconnected "swarms".

Signal Jamming: Role of Styx in Drone Networks

A company named Swarmer is developing software to link all the drones in a network. Decisions are quickly made within the group, with a human only approving automated strikes.

Reuters quoted Swarmer CEO, Serhiy Kupriienko saying, "When you try to scale up (with human pilots), it just doesn't work. For a swarm of 10 or 20 drones or robots, it's virtually impossible for humans to manage them." Kupriienko noted that, unlike human pilots who have difficulty managing operations with more than five drones, AI can handle hundreds.

The Swarn CEO further mentioned that a system known as Styx directs a web of reconnaissance and strike drones, both large and small, in the air and on the ground. He added that, in a swarm, every drone will have the tendency to plan its own moves and predict the behaviour of the others.

Kupriienko also claimed that automation would enhance the safety of drone pilots operating near the front lines, who are prime targets for enemy attacks. He affirmed that the technology is still being developed and has only been tested in the battlefield trials.

According to Samuel Bendett, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, AI drone control systems would likely need a human in the loop to prevent the system from making errors in target selection.

The primary objective of the Ukranian manufacturers is to create an affordable AI targeting system for drones. This system could then be deployed extensively along the entire 1,000 km (621 miles) front line, where thousands of FPV drones are utilized every week.

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