Military Drone Swarm Programs
1. United States – OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET)
– Organization: DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)
– Description: Envisions small-unit infantry forces using swarms of up to 250+ unmanned aircraft and ground systems for urban missions. Focuses on swarm autonomy and human-swarm teaming, with frequent live experiments.
– Status: Ongoing, with demonstrations roughly every six months.
2. United States – Replicator Initiative*
– Organization: Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), U.S. Department of Defense
– Description: Aims to field thousands of low-cost, expendable drones. Includes software efforts like Autonomous Collaborative Teaming (ACT) and Opportunistic, Resilient & Innovative Expeditionary Network Topology (ORIENT) for swarm coordination. Companies like Anduril, L3Harris, and Swarm Aero are involved.
3. United States – Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)
– Organization: U.S. Air Force
– Description: Develops sophisticated drones (e.g., Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie) to escort and support manned fighters like the F-22 and F-35, with swarming capabilities. Estimated cost per drone: $20.5–27.5 million.
– Status: In development, with a focus on air dominance roles.
4. China – Zhejiang University Drone Swarm
– Organization: Zhejiang University
– Description: Demonstrated a swarm of 10 palm-sized drones navigating dense forests autonomously using onboard sensors and algorithms. Potential military applications include tracking targets in complex environments.
5. Israel – Legion-X
– Organization Elbit Systems, Israel Defense Forces
– Description: Used in combat against Hamas in May 2021, this swarm searches for targets and relays information to ground forces. One of the first documented uses of a drone swarm in warfare.
6. India – Autonomous Surveillance and Armed Drone Swarms (A-SADS)
– Organization: NewSpace Research and Technology, Indian Army
– Description: Delivered a swarm of 100 UAVs to the Indian Army in March 2023 under a $15 million contract from 2021. Focuses on surveillance and armed capabilities.
– Status: Delivered and likely operational.
7. Russia – Unspecified Swarm Programs
– Description: Russia has been reported to be developing drone swarm technologies, with some speculation tied to its use of drones in Ukraine. Specific program names are not widely publicized, but swarm tactics are inferred from military exercises.
8. Turkey – Kargu Swarm
– Organization: STM (Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik)
– Description: Kargu drones, small loitering munitions, have demonstrated swarm capabilities. A 2021 UN report suggested possible autonomous swarm use in Libya, though unconfirmed.
– Status: Operational, with swarm features in testing or limited use.
9. Iran – Unspecified Swarm Programs
– Description: Iran has developed advanced drone programs, including swarms, showcased in military drills. Specific names are not well-documented, but swarm tactics are part of its asymmetric warfare strategy.
– Status: Active, with demonstrations reported.
10. South Korea – Drone Swarm Initiative
– Description: South Korea has announced efforts to develop drone swarms, likely for defense against North Korea. Details are sparse, but it aligns with regional military trends.
– Status: In development.
and so much more
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