Warfare Evolved: Drone Swarms, A Geopolitical Monitor
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A new project at the US Department of Defense, "The Pentagon," seeks to develop thousands of drones in the midst of accelerating international competition to develop this type of weapon.
In recent years, the role played by drones (unmanned aircraft) has grown, but this role, which included surveillance and bombing, was often carried out by one aircraft at a time or a limited number of aircraft at best. Now, the Pentagon seeks, through its new program, to produce swarms of these planes in order to participate in a massive attack that paralyzes the enemy, just as combat aircraft piloted by pilots did and are doing in wars.
And the London-based technical newscientist website stated that the AMASS project seeks to develop thousands of drones on the ground, in the air, and across the sea in order to work together as an integrated squadron to crush the enemy's defenses. He said the plan was "worrying."
These unmanned aircraft will launch coordinated attacks, giving the US military an advantage in future wars. This project is still under testing at the Defense Advanced Research Agency of the US Department of Defense ("Pentagon"), and many of the details of this project are still classified. ARA projects usually involve testing the feasibility of several technologies that would constitute high-risk, high-reward "breakthroughs."
The project has not been officially announced yet. According to the website, the development of these aircraft is likely to be specifically related to shielding a possible Chinese invasion of the island of Taiwan. But these American attempts are not the first of their kind or the only ones in the world.
Russian squadrons
This development comes a few days after the Russian state corporation "Rostec," which is responsible for the development, manufacture, and export of high-tech military and civilian products, announced that it is in the process of developing unmanned aircraft capable of striking the enemy in swarms. The company's director, Sergey Chemezov, told Russian media: "Small tactical helicopters have been developed that are capable of conducting reconnaissance, automatically detecting the enemy, and directing artillery." They can throw grenades and attack in a swarm. "This equipment has dramatically changed the nature of hostilities," he noted.
China actually has swarms.
And last May, a videotape published as part of a scientific study showed that the Chinese have the ability to manufacture swarms of drones with the ability to attack one specific area, in a scenario similar to what the US Department of Defense is working on. Researchers at Zhejiang University said that this technology is capable of flying "drones" at low altitudes and adjusting their paths within forests, which is a difficult environment for these drones. "This is the first time that a swarm of drones has succeeded in flying outside in an unregulated environment in the wild," they added.
Although the project is still in its infancy and appears to be civilian on the surface, the possibility of developing it for military purposes is very likely, according to the scientific "Science Alert" website.