On the ground and in the air: drones will increasingly determine the course of war
2 December 16:49
Next year, the use of unmanned ground vehicles and artificial intelligence drones will increase in Ukraine. Reuters writes about the use of new means of warfare, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
The agency’s journalist spoke with Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
According to the official, the buggy-like vehicles are an example of how technology is changing trench warfare in Ukraine – they are already helping the Ukrainian military in areas near the front that are constantly under attack from Russian artillery and drones.
“This year we have purchased several thousand ground platforms, and next year, I believe, we will need tens of thousands,” said the minister, who has been involved in the procurement of drones for most of the war.
Mykhailo Fedorov also said that Ukrainian production of long-range drones has increased tenfold since 2023, and that 30,000 units of such UAVs are planned to be produced next year.
He confirmed that Ukraine is working on drones to intercept long-range Shahed-type strike drones, which Russia uses for its nighttime attacks on Ukrainian cities.
“There are some tests by certain companies that produce… aircraft that, thanks to specialized software and radars, can hit Shahed drones, but it’s still at the research and development stage. Although there are some results,” Fedorov noted.
According to him, Ukraine has signed a contract to purchase 1.6 million drones this year, of which 1.3 million have been delivered, including low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles (FPVs) that have cameras that allow pilots to control them remotely.
Ukraine also uses dozens of domestic systems with augmented artificial intelligence for its drones.
Mykhailo Fedorov noted that 10 companies are constantly competing in public procurement to offer AI-based products. And, in his opinion, the percentage of autonomous drones with targeting will increase significantly next year.
There will be more drones
By the end of 2024, support for Ukraine by the member countries of the International Drone Coalition, led by Latvia and the United Kingdom, will reach 1.8 billion euros. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Latvia. The Drone Coalition has a Joint Fund for the purchase of drones, which holds regular tenders as a way to create innovative products on a competitive basis. The fund is worth 83 million euros. All other assistance is provided by Coalition members on a bilateral basis in the form of unmanned aerial vehicles and financial support.
The number of ground robotic systems will also increase
Recently, the Innovation Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, together with the Brave1 cluster and the State Research Institute for Testing and Certification of Arms and Military Equipment, organized a demonstration test of ground robotic systems. 40 Ukrainian manufacturers demonstrated the ability of their samples to overcome artificial and natural obstacles.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine also established the first training school for operators of unmanned ground robotic systems. There, servicemen are trained on about 10 different types of unmanned ground robotic systems – logistics, special, and engineering.
And the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed how the servicemen of the 15th Separate Marine Support Regiment are training to operate ground robotic systems to effectively perform specific combat missions, such as mine clearance of a certain area, evacuation of wounded personnel or delivery of cargo to a position.
