Ukraine Working To Use AI To Guide Drones Remotely Far From Battlefield

As drone operators have become the most important and sought-after targets on the battlefield due to their impact on the war, Ukraine is working to build enhanced AI so that drones can be directed from anywhere in the country - and far away from the front - which will reduce the danger to drone pilots and potentially increase their effectiveness because they will not have to spend so much time worrying about concealing themselves. 

AI is already being used to identify targets, interpret images, assess damage and provide guidance. Remote piloting is a next phase in that evolution. JL

New Voice of Ukraine reports:

AI will eventually allow drone operators to be completely removed from the battlefield. "That’s the next phase of warfare. The objective is to let an operator control a drone from anywhere in the country. Our goal is to ensure maximum remote control and implement full autonomy." Russia has formed a unit actively hunting down Ukrainian drone operators, so the issue is one of safety and effectiveness. "Right now, AI is used for decoding images, identifying targets, real-time stream analysis, and AI-based guidance is being used on FPV drones,"

Artificial intelligence (AI) will eventually allow drone operators to be completely removed from the battlefield, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine on July 14.

He explained this necessity with a fact that Russian occupiers have formed a Rubicon unit - actively hunting down Ukrainian drone operators.

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“Our goal is to ensure maximum remote control and eventually implement full autonomy," the minister said.

"That’s the next phase of warfare. The objective is to let an operator control a drone from anywhere in the country.”

 

Fedorov noted that complete autonomy will likely take years of development, but AI is already being widely used in military technologies.

“Right now, AI is actively used for decoding images, identifying targets, real-time stream analysis, and AI-based guidance is being used on FPV drones," he explained.

"We're launching a dedicated grant program in this area — this is the future of the battlefield. We must remove UAV operators from direct danger.”