Forbes: U.S. Army Will Get A Multi-dimensional Drone Swarm With An AI Pilot
- 14.11.2025, 12:18
The weapons have already been battle-tested.
The Pentagon has awarded a contract to XTEND Reality Inc for a "multi-dimensional drone swarm" that includes multiple types of drones operated by artificial intelligence pilots working under the control of a single human operator. As Forbes columnist David Gambling writes, the technology takes into account the experience of using drones in combat operations in Gaza, as well as lessons from the war in Ukraine.
Pilots with AI
Xtend CEO and co-founder Aviv Shapira says that in Israel, they had few opportunities to train soldiers to use the new drones, especially in a force made up mostly of reservists. That problem has been solved with drones that essentially fly autonomously, with the help of a so-called AI pilot. It controls the drone autonomously, planning the flight path and avoiding obstacles. At the same time, the operator does not need piloting skills. Anyone can use this system within fifteen minutes and hit targets, without having to undergo weeks of training. The idea is that this turns every operator into an FPV ace.
The AI pilot also solves the problem of communication delay between the drone and the operator, so drones can fly via satellite and other means of communication over long distances.
Remote Control
Since soldiers could not easily carry all the drones, batteries, drone ammunition and other necessary equipment, the developers solved this problem with remote control, Gambling writes:
"Instead of soldiers carrying and launching drones from forward positions, as we see in Ukraine, drones are controlled remotely from "nests." A nest can be a mobile unit carried on an armored personnel carrier or unmanned ground vehicle, a robot boat, helicopter or other aircraft, including drones. Nests can also be static, pre-installed units with automated systems for changing batteries and attaching ammunition to drones."
With this configuration, Shapira said, "distance is not an issue," which is a big advantage for the special forces teams that will operate the new drones.
Mission Combined Action
In a typical mission, an operator uses a drone team to investigate a building occupied by terrorists. The operator observes the building from a distance using a camera on a Honey Badger drone, a large multi-purpose drone that can also act as a carrier, while other drones remain on standby or wait for launch orders.
The software automatically identifies objects of interest, including vehicles, people, doors and windows in buildings. The operator identifies a suitable entry point, such as a window on an upper floor, and clicks on it. The explosive-laden Scorpio attack drone automatically heads to the window and creates a passageway.
A smaller Xtender drone optimized for indoor flight penetrates the breach, and the operator switches to the Xtender's vantage point, controlling it as it flies around the building looking for terrorists. Such flight is a challenge for a human pilot, but the artificial intelligence controlling the drone can easily maneuver indoors without encountering obstacles. Other drones monitoring the exits alert the operator to any activity, allowing him to focus on the main task.
If the Xtender detects a target, the operator can call in additional drones to investigate or strike, depending on the situation:
"Using several different types of drones capable of performing a number of different tasks makes the team "multi-dimensional." Ground robots and other types of flying drones can also be involved in the mission."
Drones that can't be jammed
One of the important things about the new development is dual communications, which can operate over both radio and fiber optic cable.
"At launch, the operator can decide whether or not to connect fiber optics," Shapira said.
Another piece of equipment is the Electronic Safety and Armament Device (ESAD), which provides a high level of security for the ammunition being transported.
"In Ukraine, many operators die as a result of accidents involving homemade ammunition. Aviva claims that ESAD certification for high voltage equipment, which took two years in the US, makes their system unique. "Drones can carry a variety of interchangeable munitions, including anti-personnel, anti-tank, explosive charges, light-noise 'distraction devices,' non-lethal ammunition and inert training warheads," Forbes writes.