Indian Army shows off drone swarm of mass destruction

Feb. 4, 2021
While new technologies and in particular AI and edge computing will drive drone swarms, the key element is the swarming software, David Hambling reports for Forbes.

NEW DELHI, India - At a live demonstration for India’s Army Day last week, the Indian military showed off a swarm of 75 drones destroying a variety of simulated targets in explosive kamikaze attacks for the first time. The commentary accompanying the demonstration claimed that the swarm is capable of autonomous operation. You can see a video of the event here. While the swarm’s exact capabilities are not clear, the event is a clear indication of how the technology is developing — and proliferating, David Hambling reports for Forbes. Continue reading original article.

The Intelligent Aerospace take:

February 4, 2021 -While the swarm’s exact capabilities are not clear, the event is a clear indication of how the technology is developing — and proliferating.

The swarm of 75 small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) shows the current state of the art, but India’s goal is a 1,000-drone swarm with the potential to overwhelm air defenses, and the low-cost means they can be deployed in far greater numbers than existing systems. In the demonstration, scout drones investigated the targets, then mothership drones released explosive-laden kamikaze units which carried out the attacks.

Related: Are drone swarms the future of aerial warfare?

Related: U.S. Army’s new drone swarm may be a weapon of mass destruction

Related: Milpower Source to provide power electronics for DARPA Gremlins drone swarms project

Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Military Aerospace, create an account today!