Image source: topwar.ru
The Turkish company STM showed a video showing a raid by a swarm of KARGU FPV drones on a simulated infantry squad.
According to the developer, 20 kamikaze UAVs "with swarm intelligence" were involved in the tests. At the same time, one operator was responsible for their management. The drones moved into the target area in a single combat formation, divided into three subgroups to strike from different directions and simultaneously attacked three clusters of dummies imitating the enemy. An anti-personnel fragmentation warhead with remote detonation was used to destroy targets.
The AI-based software platform STM Kerkes is used to coordinate drone collaboration.
The software allows a group of drones to perform autonomous swarming, in particular, to distribute targets among themselves without operator involvement. If one UAV has already captured the target, the rest will switch to other objects so as not to waste ammunition.
Image source: topwar.ru
Kerkes is responsible for navigation: thanks to deep learning algorithms, drones can navigate through space using visual landmarks, operating even in conditions when satellite communications are completely suppressed.
The software makes it possible to recognize objects and classify targets (infantry, vehicles, armored vehicles, etc.). The operator can set a priority, for example, "attack only artillery", and the swarm will find the guns in a given square.
KARGU:
Image source: topwar.ru
Thanks to the software, drones operate by maintaining network-centric communication, exchanging data with each other over a secure radio channel. For example, if one of the drones detects an ambush, the information is instantly transmitted to the entire group and to the control panel.
KARGU has a take-off weight of 7.7 kg, including payload. The cruising speed is 20 m/s (72 km/h), the maximum dive speed is approximately 150 km/h. The flight duration is 30 minutes, the maximum altitude is 3000 m, the target capture height is up to 500 m. The working time is 25 minutes. The range is 10 km. The control distance is 6.5 km (when using a standard antenna on the control panel) or 10 km (using a remote antenna). The UAV is equipped with an EO/IR camera with 10x zoom.
