Russian Shahed attack drones are increasingly becoming the subject of online discussions due to the possible implementation of artificial intelligence systems for autonomous guidance. Military expert and radio technology specialist Sergey «Flash» Bezkrestnov analyzed whether these UAVs really have the function of automatic target acquisition.
Russian Shahed attack drones are increasingly becoming the subject of online discussions due to the possible implementation of artificial intelligence systems for autonomous guidance. Military expert and radio technology specialist Sergey «Flash» Bezkrestnov analyzed whether these UAVs really have the function of automatic target acquisition.
The analyst reported this on his Telegram channel, commenting on discussions surrounding the latest videos of strikes published in the Russian Federation. He divided the technological process into three key stages: object recognition, automatic prioritization, and targeting.
According to the expert, the function of recognizing targets by image is no longer a technological novelty today. Many modern and expensive Chinese video cameras are equipped with integrated neural networks that are able to highlight objects, detect them and keep them in focus according to the algorithms they have been trained on.
Instead, automatic priority analysis, independent target selection, and autonomous decision-making about an attack without human intervention remain a matter of the near future. Serhiy «Flash» notes that currently such systems, both in Ukraine and on the enemy’s side, are only in the initial stages of combat testing.
At the same time, in early June it became known that Ukraine successfully tested a new technology from a member of the Brave1 defense cluster, which automates 95% of the process of intercepting enemy drones. The new generation of interceptor drones is capable of independently homing in on the target and destroying enemy aircraft.
The implementation of the final guidance system for a drone to the target is a more complex engineering task for winged UAVs compared to rotary quadcopters. However, this technological solution has already been implemented by developers on both sides. In order for the guidance function to work directly on the «shahedi», it must be integrated into the flight controller interface. In addition, the stable operation of the video channel is critically important, because it is the operator who, at the first stage, indicates to the drone a specific target for attack.
«But I am a supporter of not guessing, but studying trophies to understand exactly what is and what is not, how it is implemented and, most importantly, how to counteract it,» the expert summed up.
Recall that previously there were recorded cases of enemy modernization of Shahed-136 drones, in particular by installing cameras and consumer LTE modems on them. This allowed Russian operators to receive images in real time and adjust flight routes to bypass Ukrainian mobile fire groups and electronic warfare zones.
