UK and allies plan to provide Ukraine with thousands of AI drones
The United Kingdom, along with the United States and other countries, is working to provide Ukraine with thousands of new artificial intelligence drones that can simultaneously attack Russian targets in swarms. According to people familiar with the matter, this technology could allow Ukraine to more effectively deplete Russian positions. Bloomberg reports.
Drones have become an important element in Russia’s war against Ukraine, which is approaching the two-year mark, and a global race is underway to develop new technologies that could determine the future of the war. Russia is increasing its own production of combat drones to support the invasion and has received significant supplies from its allies, including Iran.
The coalition of allies has promised to deliver 1 million drones to Ukraine within a year. In January, White House officials met with defense companies to discuss innovative battlefield technologies that could help Ukraine counter Russian invasion.
The focus on drones comes amid a shortage of artillery in Ukraine, which could become critical in the coming months when the military may decide to focus on a narrower front. Ukraine also announced on Saturday that it was retreating from Avdiivka after prolonged fighting.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has increased pressure on European allies to increase military aid to Ukraine, using his speech at the Munich Security Conference to warn that Europe would lose politically and financially if Russia wins the war.
While the new drone capabilities do not replace artillery and the need for shells, they can help compensate for the lack of ammunition and improve Ukraine’s position.
AI drones will be used in large groups (swarms), communicating with each other to target enemy positions without the need for a human to operate each device, one of the sources said.
Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO’s military committee, told Bloomberg that Ukraine’s use of drones “combined with artificial intelligence” could be “more successful than artillery fire.”
“Countries are looking at swarm attacks, countries are looking at AI to enhance relatively simple drones and cameras or video systems to become much more connected through software,” Bauer said. He added that there is an “endless race” with Russia to develop advanced technologies.
Speaking in Munich, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on allies to provide more long-range weapons and artillery. “Keeping Ukraine in an artificial shortage of artillery and long-range weapons allows Putin to adapt to the current intensity of the war,” he said.
