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The Ukraine war is driving rapid innovation in drone technology

Ukraine is attacking Russian vehicles with drones that cost as little as $450.

Ukraine is now using frequency-hopping modems to defeat Russian jammers trying to block Ukrainian pilots from being able to control their drones – a constant game of one-upmanship where both sides are desperately trying to outcompete with newer designs. Ukraine is making drones with all sorts of novel technologies, like a self-guidance system that doesn’t require visual control of a pilot; thermal cameras to conduct surveillance and night; and even artificial intelligence that can recognize enemy tanks from afar. The groundwork for this is being laid now in Ukraine: swarms of drones are being developed such that they can fly to a designated “kill box,” find and identify enemy tanks, then destroy them – all without any human pilot interaction.

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