A breakthrough in technology for the British Army took place on Salisbury Plain recently, where a demonstration of multiple Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) took place.

According to the British Army, funded by Army Headquarters, the nano-Unmanned Aerial Systems project completed a live multiple drone demonstration also known as ‘swarming drones’, pushing technological boundaries.

Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Dawe, Commanding Officer, Infantry Trials and Development Unit (ITDU) explained in an Army press release:

“The stand-out feature of this event is that you are seeing a military operator control more than one drone at the same time from one single unit. This is adding scale and adding complexity with each drone able to carry out a separate task.This is a real amplifier, adding capacity, force protection, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The intent going forward is to add a precision strike capability; this will not only assist in our targeting but also in our strike capability, therefore making us more lethal at range which will protect our very valuable forces and people.”

According to the aforementioned release:

“The event was also ground-breaking in terms of the regulatory environment too, as it was the first time the Military Aviation Authority has issued a categorisation of this type for a swarm to be operated by one operator, a huge achievement for the Army and hopefully paving the way for systems like this to come into service. Two different UAS systems were used; the first was the Atlas, where one operator controls four drones on a tablet via individual manual mission taskings. The second system was the Elbit, where one operator tasks six drones, creating autonomous missions. This means the operator can task up to six drones in a fleet on the same mission or various other missions to complete different tasks.

The focus was on two showcase ideas; the first consisted of multiple drones providing a 24-hour perimeter defensive posture, with surveillance provided by multiple UAS in and around a specific location. The second scenario worked on artificial intelligence communicating with the system to plan UAS missions, so that they can provide overwatch and inform the user of any points of interest and following where necessary.”

You can read more here.

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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geoff49
geoff49
1 year ago

Ha from swarming Dervishes and Zulus to swarming drones! What next!?

James Dee
James Dee
1 year ago
Reply to  geoff49

I thought it was swirling Dervishes

David Steeper
1 year ago
Reply to  James Dee

Surely it’s whirling. PS i’m not calling you Shirley ! 😁😁

Spyinthesky
Spyinthesky
1 year ago
Reply to  David Steeper

Either way you can bet they won’t like them up em.

geoff49
geoff49
1 year ago
Reply to  James Dee

A bit of poetic licence James😂

Jon
Jon
1 year ago

These are Latvian Atlas tricopters, and Israeli Elbit quadcopters.

According to Janes, the AtlasPRO is approximately 50 cm in diameter and weighs 1.7 kg including battery and payload. The aircraft enables fully- and semi-autonomous missions with 50 minute flight time and 10 km range.

It was reported in Spring this year Elbit would be delivering 5 sets of 6 swarming quadcopters to the Army, but details were a bit thin on the ground. Nice to know they have arrived safely.

Bob
Bob
1 year ago

Science fact.

David Lloyd
David Lloyd
1 year ago

I hope the Army are analysing the use that the Ukrainians are making of drones in their war with Russia. Everybody seems impressed with the Turkish Bayraktar armed drones. Dare I suggest that we should be buying, say 25 of them off the shelf? People with experience of Playstations, Xbox etc could be recruited to flly them

Jon
Jon
1 year ago
Reply to  David Lloyd

We’d be better off partnering with Bayraktar on the twin-engined Kizilelma (MIUS C), trialling the new Rolls Royce Orpheus engines. A Vixen contenter for the carriers as well as being useful to the Army.

David Lloyd
David Lloyd
1 year ago
Reply to  Jon

Yes, thats a very good idea. But as the MoD are managing the projects they will certainly come in over budget, years late and gold-plated. Buying combat-proven Bayraktars off the shelf means we could get three times as many for half the cost

Jon
Jon
1 year ago
Reply to  David Lloyd

The MoD won’t drive the speed on the MIUS program; Erdogan will (possibly personally). They are scheduled for deployment on the Anadolu, and the new Ukrainian engines might be the primary hold up.

Sure we could get lots of TB2s, but they aren’t all that good. What was impressive about them was how badly Russian counteracted them at the start of the war. Good for trialling Army CONOPS perhaps (and there’s a lot to be said for that), but they are already out of date for a real war.

Spyinthesky
Spyinthesky
1 year ago
Reply to  Jon

What has been shown as vital in the use of drones is doing so in an environment covered by HARM like anti radar missiles. The two working together are mutually complimentary the drone forces the air defence to reveal itself ( without risking manned aircraft) which the missiles can then destroy. In destroying the air defence radars they make the environment safer for both the drones and manned aircraft. Even sophisticated drones are likely very vulnerable in such an un-cleansed environments. indeed the US seem to be accepting their top end drones may not be viable.

Jon
Jon
1 year ago
Reply to  Spyinthesky

Has the UK ordered Spear-EW yet?

DaveyB
DaveyB
1 year ago
Reply to  David Lloyd

Please bear in mind that the TB2’s only had such a good run, mainly due to the ineptitude of the Russian forces to set up a multi-layered air defence network to cover ground movements in the first 3 to 4 months of the conflict. The old Predators we had would have had it just as easy, possible better, as they could launch Hellfire from a longer stand-off distance.

The TB2s don’t have such an easy life of late, as the Russians learnt the lesson the hard way and are now using integrated air defence networks.

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago
Reply to  DaveyB

As opposed to disintegrated air defences? Which I though were the Russian speciality!

I’ve the point about the TB2 not being all that special.

If this war proves anything it is how on a battlefield old stand alone tech is useless against state of the art integrated systems.

Graham Moore
Graham Moore
1 year ago

Perhaps the TB2 drone is ‘cheap and cheerful’ but has worked well up to now. Not surprised the Russians are now wary of drones and countering them with integrated air defence.

Netking
Netking
1 year ago
Reply to  DaveyB

True but there have been a noticeable uptick in TB2s videos since the Ukrainians were giving HARM missiles. Puts the Russian SAM units in a real pickle. Radiate and get a HARM up your bum or try to hide and watch some drone dropping munitions on your comrades heads.

DaveyB
DaveyB
1 year ago
Reply to  Netking

I am going to be brutally honest. If the Mig 29s and Su27s were fitted with a Western 1553 mission computer, avionics and weapons bus. They would tear the Russian Air Defence network to pieces. This is because you can then use the full potential of HARM. Rather than the current let loose and hunt, which can be a bit hit and miss. The massive problem that even modern Russian air defence systems have is their radar. The vast majority are either old fashioned Pulse-Doppler mechanically scanned or passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radars. This means their operating bandwidth, i.e.… Read more »

Netking
Netking
1 year ago
Reply to  DaveyB

For the country that held itself up as the second best military, Russia has turned out to be a paper tiger to a degree no one expected. In a conventional fight, nato would have destroyed this lot in a week.

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago
Reply to  DaveyB

But you do t really need a radar seeking missile.

The place can find the radar and send the location to the missile dynamically or you can use data from the 135.

So whilst radar/emission seeking missile are fire and forget(ish) I don’t see them as being the sole solution and multi purpose munitions can do the job too.

DaveyB
DaveyB
1 year ago

Yes, up to a point. For fixed radar sites, having a RC135 or other assets triangulating the site’s position is relatively easy. Especially when this can be married up to satellite surveillance images. A stand-off missile would make short work of the grid coordinate. The problem is mobile missile systems. If they are operating behind the lines and changing position every few hours/days. It makes it harder for something like a RC135 to tie down. Unless they can record a pattern of life, but that would take a number of days to record. Plus, a rather stupid radar operator. Which… Read more »

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago
Reply to  DaveyB

The coordinates can be dynamically updated from another platform?

I think we can see that a lot of the Russian operators are unbelievably badly trained or just stupid.

Spyinthesky
Spyinthesky
1 year ago
Reply to  DaveyB

Well interestingly, and it has been noted by some military experts the use of HARM has very much eased their working environment again of late. As usual in the use of technology the balance changes and very often combinations of tech and tactics can restore or alter the balance. I think the biggest lesson will be to work on tools and tech and tactics to make sure the vital work of drones can be carried out and what drones or combination are best suited to then do that job.

Expat
Expat
1 year ago
Reply to  Spyinthesky

This is one concept being discussed to defeat air defences.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a40899974/air-force-undead-aircraft/

Dr Fell
Dr Fell
1 year ago
Reply to  David Lloyd

But probably not use them. It’s not so easy as people believe.

Dr Fell
Dr Fell
1 year ago

Whenever I hear that carriers are unsinkable, I always know that they are not. Then think of drone attacks, a 100, a 1,000, 10,000,

Gunbuster
Gunbuster
1 year ago
Reply to  Dr Fell

The issue is range and control. If a carrier is sat 100 miles off your coast then you will need a big drone to get to it. You will also need to control it at some point. RF is jammable especially in the frequency ranges most use. Drones are detectable and can be shot down using phalanx (eventually Dragonfire). The atlas drone detailed above has a 30 min endurance at 33 mph . Sit 100 miles off the coast and it wont even reach you. Even with a bigger drone and a higher approach speed, once detected a vessel could… Read more »

Expat
Expat
1 year ago
Reply to  Gunbuster

US destroyers were buzzed by drones in 2019.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/navy-releases-videos-from-mysterious-drone-swarms-around-warships-off-california

I believe they were something like 60 miles from the coast.

Jonathans
Jonathans
1 year ago

Nano drone swarms are going to be a very interesting force in how infantry fight in the future. Affectively having large numbers of essentially disposable eyes and Sensors will mean the infantry that don’t have this will be significantly disadvantaged.

Steve
Steve
1 year ago

The question is what is the miltiary usage for them. We have already seen civilian drones flying coordinated in their hundreds, but they are always small drones, which in turn only have short range.

Monkey spanker
Monkey spanker
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve

Well it comes down to what can they do for the army that can’t be done just now. Also what tasks can the drones do easier and quicker than the current way of doing it. Really you could have a swarm of drones round every solider alerting them to potential issues all around. Another carrying the some of the soldiers load, more doing resupply, some up higher giving a bigger picture, others ready to drop weapons on targets, the possibilities are endless. Really comes down to what is the most useful and best value for money first. Also is the… Read more »

Steve
Steve
1 year ago
Reply to  Monkey spanker

The issue I have is there is a lot of potential, but not a lot of actual delivery. The tech just doesn’t seem there yet.

The only use I can see for a swam of small drones would be Ukraine style grenade attack on a dug in position. But even small drones still need to be carried and add weight.

Graham Moore
Graham Moore
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve

Steve, I have seen swarming drones for some years now at displays, so why do you think the tech is not there yet?
They can be carried in vehicles, so they need not load down the dismounted soldier.

Steve
Steve
1 year ago
Reply to  Graham Moore

Its one thing creating a pretty display, it’s another having a military application. Its the application that I am struggling to see. For large drones I can see it as a way of breaking through air defenses but smaller ones I am struggling to see the answer to the what do they bring question.

Monkey spanker
Monkey spanker
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve

Small man portable drones are great for scouting ahead, peeking round corners, on top of buildings etc.
Ukraine has really shown how ruin a vehicles day by dropping a small bomb through the hatch.
It’s the area between handheld drones and predator size things that has great potential. What that will be, we will have to wait for the boffins to work it out

Steve
Steve
1 year ago
Reply to  Monkey spanker

Yeah as single units they can be great for situational awareness or as longer range grenade launchers, but swarms I can’t see the point of.

Monkey spanker
Monkey spanker
1 year ago
Reply to  Monkey spanker

One more thing for drone defence really a gun that has shells able drones would be great. The longer the range the bigger the shell.
1 shell – 1 drone kill. Programmable shells.
That along with cheap missiles and the tv aerial guns (block the signal) should be a good mix.

R.Leake
R.Leake
1 year ago
Reply to  Monkey spanker

I was wondering could british bombing drones have fighter escort drones on say when attacking enemy well garded targets ie airbases or ammunition stores

Graham Moore
Graham Moore
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve

Steve, The tech is there for (small) swarming drones with some sort of payload, but I agree that the military application is undefined; I certainly can’t think of one.
Still it fits with the opinion of that great military expert, Dominic Cummings, who thought the army could be savagely cut yet again so long as they had some extra drones and cyber gadgets to ‘compensate’.