A smart swarm flies into battle – Hi-Tech – Kommersant

by time news

The attention of the world media in May was riveted to the next aggravation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel, which for two weeks had been incessant rocket attacks on each other’s territories. There was something completely special in this collision: it turned out that Israel, apparently, became the first country in the world to use for military purposes not just unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), but their full-fledged squadron, controlled by artificial intelligence.

During a military operation in the Gaza Strip in mid-May, the Israel Defense Forces used AI-controlled combat drones to detect, identify and attack Hamas militants, New Scientist reports. This is the first known military use of a so-called drone swarm.

Usually UAVs, including military ones, need an operator who will operate the device from a distance. Moreover, each drone still had a separate operator. But the Israeli army has reached a qualitatively new level: it is armed with UAVs, which are networked and controlled by artificial intelligence.

The operator is only needed here to indicate the main commands and the direction of action, and at once for the entire squadron.

AI is now responsible for the direct execution of the assigned combat mission. And even if part of the UAV group is destroyed by the enemy, the group will still continue to carry out the assigned task.

“The swarm of UAVs was used in a combat zone, from where numerous rocket launches were made towards Israel,” a representative of the Israel Defense Forces told the publication. “As far as we know, this is the world’s first use of this type of weapon.”

The Hermes UAV family of the Israeli company Elbit Systems is used for optical and electronic reconnaissance. The largest Hermes 900 can carry some types of guided weapons.

Photo: elbitsystems.com

According to representatives of the Israeli armed forces, the drone swarm has carried out more than 30 successful operations during the last conflict. UAVs helped to detect targets and attack Hamas targets, including many kilometers from the Palestinian-Israeli border.

According to the Defense Update, the Israeli army began actively introducing the latest technologies in the field of UAV control in 2019. And to create a swarm of combat drones, devices from Elbit Systems were used. These 9kg quadcopters are virtually silent when flying in the air.

The use of UAVs is also a matter of cost savings. During the aforementioned conflict, Israel’s Iron Dome system was able to shoot down about 90% of missiles fired into its territory, which is a very high indicator of the effectiveness of missile defense. However, Hamas fired about 4,000 missiles during the conflict, which means that hundreds of missiles nevertheless reached their target, which led to destruction and loss of life. At the same time, the launch of each interceptor missile costs the Israeli army $ 50 thousand, and to destroy an enemy missile sometimes it is necessary to release two or three of its own missiles.

Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system has been able to intercept about 2,500 missiles in 10 years

Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system has been able to intercept about 2,500 missiles in 10 years

Photo: Ariel Schalit, AP

The use of UAV squadrons will help Israel locate and destroy missile launchers even before the enemy strikes. At the same time, it is very difficult to destroy the drones themselves, moving in a large group.

However, the emergence of such military technology is already causing concern among experts, who are afraid that the armies of the countries will begin to form squadrons of unmanned aerial vehicles, which will number several thousand vehicles.

«A small swarm of drones probably doesn’t pose much of a risk, but what about 10,000? We may be witnessing the emergence of new weapons of mass destruction, ”analyst Zach Cullenborn of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Countering Terrorism in Maryland was quoted as saying by New Scientist.

The Israel Defense Forces, meanwhile, have already confirmed that they intend to expand the fleet of UAVs, controlled by artificial intelligence, and increase the number of their operations. “We plan to equip various ground units with drone swarms as part of expanding the strike capabilities of the maneuvering troops,” a spokesman for the Israeli Armed Forces said.

Kirill Sarkhanyants

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