Germany is expected to soon begin massive supplies of kamikaze drones to Ukraine, which are highly autonomous even under the influence of electronic warfare (EW) and are capable of effectively hitting targets at a considerable distance.
Bild writes about this, citing its sources and a statement by Defense Minister Borys Pistorius, who actually confirmed the intentions.
The drones in question are Helsing attack drones equipped with artificial intelligence technologies that increase their autonomy in difficult conditions. The industry compares these drones to the Taurus missiles that Chancellor Olaf Scholz refuses to give to Ukraine.
The order provides for the supply of 4000 such drones. It is expected that they will start arriving in batches of several hundred per month starting in December.
The prototypes of the drones are already being tested and improved in real combat conditions in eastern Ukraine. They are equipped with modern software that allows them to navigate by multiple markers even in difficult weather conditions or under the influence of EW. After identifying the target and confirming it with the operator, the drone is able to hit the object autonomously even if communication is lost.
The flight range of these drones is four times that of typical Ukrainian kamikaze drones, although no specific model is specified for comparison. At the same time, they are much cheaper than the American Switchblade and Russian Zala and Lanset.
Defense Minister Borys Pistorius noted that he was “very pleased to start supplying these drones with AI technology” and emphasized that Ukraine would be able to use them to attack important enemy targets such as command posts.