German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems is working to integrate sound measurement functionality into its Twister, Vector, and Reliant reconnaissance drones, allowing the drones to detect enemy artillery and mortar positions up to 15 km away.
German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems is working to integrate sound measurement functionality into its Twister, Vector, and Reliant reconnaissance drones, allowing the drones to detect enemy artillery and mortar positions up to 15 km away.
The development is at the prototype stage, reports «Military» with reference to the German publication Hartpunkt.
Production is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025, when the finger-sized sensor will be available for installation on Quantum Systems' entire family of reconnaissance drones. The company said it was created by Polish manufacturer Weles Acoustics, which Quantum Systems recently acquired.
According to the company representative, the sensor should detect artillery and mortar shots at a distance of up to 15 kilometers. The detection accuracy is stated at 85 lines (5 degrees) at 5 km, which is quite sufficient for rough localization. The purpose of integrating the sensors is to determine the approximate direction of fire, so that later, using the reconnaissance optics of the drone, it is possible to precisely localize the enemy’s firing position.
In the initial phase, this work is still done manually by the drone pilot. However, according to a spokesperson, Quantum Systems is working on automating this function so that the drone’s optics automatically turn in the direction from which the shot was recorded.
In the future, the system will also be able to recognize and classify the acoustic signatures of a shot using artificial intelligence. This way, the drone will be able to determine not only the direction of the shot, but also the type of shot — artillery or mortar.
Recall that last summer, Quantum Systems opened its plant in Ukraine, which produces Vector reconnaissance drones for the Defense Forces. The company also reported on the deployment in Ukraine of a new upgrade of artificial intelligence sensors of the Receptor AI type. The development allows for optical navigation day and night and in poor visibility conditions, as well as automated recognition and identification of objects using artificial intelligence.
