The US Department of Defense has released a video clearly demonstrating the testing of a swarm of 3D-printed reconnaissance drones. The project is known as “Perdix”.
The development of swarming 3D printed drones has been underway for several years, but until now only the systems in action have been available. New video clearly demonstrates the application new system, capable of penetrating enemy air defenses. The emphasis is not on quality, but on quantity. During testing at the China Lake training ground, two fighter-bombers naval aviation F/A-18 Super Hornets dropped 103 Perdix drones that swarmed and completed a range of missions while demonstrating the ability to coordinate and adapt to changing environments. Nothing is known for certain about the purpose of the system, but it can be assumed that, if necessary, such devices will be used not only for aerial reconnaissance, but also striking in concentrated conditions air defense.
"In view of complex nature fighting Perdix is not a synchronized swarm of drones with individual programming, but a collective organism with a common, distributed intelligence that allows it to assess the current situation and make coordinated decisions, as swarms do in nature. Each drone communicates and coordinates with other drones in the group. Thus, there is no specific leader, which allows the swarm to adapt to losses or growth in numbers,” explains William Roper, director of the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO).
The development of the Perdix system has been ongoing since 2013. Original idea owned by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but the project was adapted to the needs of the US Department of Defense. Since then, the drone's design has changed six times, and the current version has proven capable of being deployed from aircraft flying at Mach 0.6 and operating in temperatures as low as -10°C using only cheap, publicly available components. The supporting structure of drones is made using 3D printing, and in long term The US Department of Defense intends to ramp up drone production and produce thousands of Perdix drones. And do you have interesting news? Share your developments with us and we will tell the whole world about them!
The United States tested a swarm of attack mini-drones to suppress air defense or offensive weapons. The 3D-printed devices can be launched towards the enemy from a fighter or bomber. It will be very difficult to fight such weapons with conventional air defense systems; modern radio-electronic weapons are needed against such systems, say experts interviewed by Gazeta.Ru.
The US Department of Defense is testing a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed for electronic and fire suppression of enemy air defense systems and attacks on positional areas of offensive weapons probable enemy. The head of what was once one of the most secret divisions of the Pentagon - the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) - William Roper spoke about this during a report to US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, writes a military analytical publication.
According to Roper, the implementation of this program will give the US armed forces unprecedented advantages in modern warfare. Mini-drones are designed and built on standard elements already developed by American industry, the Pentagon official emphasized.
Promising unmanned aircraft has already received the name Perdix (Latin for “partridge”), which is dissonant to the Russian ear.
“They are single-use, fly at extremely low altitudes and can also be used as a reconnaissance weapon. You can have many of these mini-drones, and only as many as you need to complete the combat mission in a given case. A large number of The UAV creates considerable advantages over the enemy. He will be forced to invest much more in his defense more funds and time to reliably protect yourself from such swarms,” Roper explained.
Drone of the Perdix project, named after the ancient Greek heroine Perdika
However, in his public statements, he never named any specific technologies used in the creation and operation of new drones.
The only thing William Roper clarified: small drones can be easily launched from a carrier aircraft.
Such machines can be located in some kind of cassette on board a fighter or bomber and sent by the pilot to carry out a combat mission with the press of a button. In numerous tests, F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft are used as swarm carriers.
“Although mini-drones do have advantages in terms of combat use, according to the “efficiency - cost” criterion, in comparison with many other types of weapons and military equipment“Small drones still have a very limited range,” says William Roper.
According to him, the external contours of the Perdix drone are created using 3D printing to ensure fast production and lower device prices.
According to the authors of this idea, small-sized drones should fly up to their targets with the minimum possible intervals and distances between each other. One of the main problems with this is the collision of drones with each other. For safe autonomous flight, special computer algorithms are used. In this regard, the developers, in their own words, have made significant progress.
There are also serious limitations in the use of mini-drones, the authors of the program believe.
The US military is not yet able to design such vehicles that could return to the carrier aircraft from which they were launched.
American developers are now studying preliminary test results. If necessary, the necessary changes and additions will be made to the program.
The unmanned aerial vehicle mentioned by Pentagon officials is just one of many systems being developed for “swarm use,” a Russian expert in the field of unmanned systems explained to Gazeta.Ru. Chief Editor magazine "Unmanned Aviation" Denis Fedutinov. “In the USA, several interested structures have organized work in this area. Examples include the LOCUST program of the Office of Naval Research (ONR), as well as the DARPA Gremlins project,” says Fedutinov.
It is assumed that the drones will operate against an enemy equipped modern systems Air defense. It will be overcome through the simultaneous use of many drones.
For this unmanned vehicles must be able to interact with each other, forming an information network. This property should ensure the redistribution of combat missions in a changing situation, including in the event of some of the drones being disabled. Such UAVs, designed to withstand high losses, must be relatively cheap and consist of the most available components.
According to the expert, there have also been some projects in Russia aimed at developing swarm technologies in relation to UAVs. However, this topic has not yet been seriously addressed in our country. To actually implement such ideas, serious government investment is needed, the expert explains. First of all, in the development of the necessary flock algorithms. The cost of this work may exceed the cost of creating the hardware, Fedutinov emphasizes.
The US Office of Strategic Capabilities, which operates closely with the defense industry, was created to speed up the long, expensive and bureaucratic process of adopting a particular type of weapon. Management must integrate science and military industry. “Often people who have never met before are natural partners in creating promising weapons. We must use this situation for constructive purposes,” William Roper, head of the US Strategic Capabilities Directorate, explained his tasks to reporters.
“We want to give commanders undeniable advantages during combat operations over the enemy. We take risky concepts and bring the result of the work to a state where it can be used in combat,” the Pentagon official emphasizes.
Such American developments should be regarded as a serious threat, says Konstantin Makienko, deputy director of the Center for Strategies and Technologies. “And this, without any exaggeration, revolution in military affairs can happen quite quickly and suddenly,” says Makienko. - Fight similar packs small drones It will be very difficult physically. No mirror counteraction is suitable here. In my opinion, only the use of radio-electronic weapons that destroy intellectual connections in such a swarm will be effective.”
The American army showed the capabilities of one of the the latest developments in the field of unmanned aircraft - “swarming” microdrones. Yesterday, January 9, the results of tests of Perdix drones equipped with artificial intelligence and capable of acting in a “pack”.
Tests of miniature drones took place on October 25 last year, but they became known only yesterday. During testing, three US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets launched 103 miniature Perdix drones, which then formed a “swarm” and carried out a reconnaissance mission. The drones were dropped from special hanging containers. The testing site was the China Lake military base (California).
Perdix drone testing
The tests took place as part of a special study by the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO), which examined the possibilities of using drones and their autonomous operation. Now the drone operator does not need to control each individual drone: for example, it is enough to set a target for reconnaissance, after which the drones independently follow it and circle, transmitting reconnaissance information. At the same time, drones are able to “communicate” with each other, coordinating their movements and flight directions.
“Due to the complex nature of combat, Perdix are not pre-programmed drones. They are a collective organism that makes decisions with a single divided brain, like swarms in nature. Because each Perdix communicates and cooperates with other members of the swarm, the swarm has no leader and can seamlessly adapt to new circumstances, acting alone, in small or large groups.", said SCO Chief William Roper.
The Perdix is a disposable, relatively inexpensive reconnaissance drone that can be deployed for additional reconnaissance prior to air strikes. The drone is made of plastic, equipped with a small electric motor with a pushing propeller, as well as a video camera and a radio transmitter (the video and radio signals are transmitted to the pilot and the command center).
One of the Perdix drone prototypes.
dronereview.com
Perdix is designed to be launched from an aircraft and quickly collect critical data that will allow pilots to better identify and strike targets, Roper said. Perdix was originally designed to launch “flocks” of drones that could attack or distract ground-based air defense systems, but as the project progresses, the military is finding more and more uses for disposable drones.
The US Department of Defense is testing a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed for electronic and fire suppression of enemy air defense (air defense) systems and attacks on positional areas of the offensive weapons of a potential enemy. The head of what was once one of the most secret divisions of the Pentagon - the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) - William Roper said this during a report to US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, writes the military-analytical publication The National Interest.
According to Roper, the implementation of this program will give the US armed forces unprecedented advantages in modern warfare. Mini-drones are designed and built on standard elements already developed by American industry, the Pentagon official emphasized.
The promising unmanned aerial vehicle has already received the name Perdix (Latin for “partridge”), which sounds dissonant to the Russian ear.
“They are single-use, fly at extremely low altitudes and can also be used as a reconnaissance weapon. You can have many of these mini-drones, and only as many as you need to complete the combat mission in a given case. A large number of UAVs creates considerable advantages over the enemy. He will be forced to invest much more money and time into his defense in order to reliably protect himself from such swarms,” Roper explained.
Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post Project Perdix drone, named after the ancient Greek heroine Perdika
However, in his public statements, he never named any specific technologies used in the creation and operation of new drones.
The only thing that William Roper clarified is that small-sized drones can be easily launched from a carrier aircraft.
Such machines can be located in some kind of cassette on board a fighter or bomber and sent by the pilot to carry out a combat mission with the press of a button. In numerous tests, F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft are used as swarm carriers.
“Although mini-drones do have advantages in terms of combat use, according to the cost-effectiveness criterion, in comparison with many other types of weapons and military equipment, small drones still have a very limited range,” says William Roper.
According to him, the external contours of the Perdix drone are created using 3D printing to ensure rapid production and lower prices for the devices.
According to the authors of this idea, small-sized drones should fly up to their targets with the minimum possible intervals and distances between each other. One of the main problems with this is the collision of drones with each other. For safe autonomous flight, special computer algorithms are used. In this regard, the developers, in their own words, have made significant progress.
There are also serious limitations in the use of mini-drones, the authors of the program believe.
The US military is not yet able to design such vehicles that could return to the carrier aircraft from which they were launched.
American developers are now studying preliminary test results. If necessary, the necessary changes and additions will be made to the program.
The unmanned aerial vehicle mentioned by Pentagon officials is just one of many systems being developed for “swarm use,” Denis Fedutinov, a Russian expert in the field of unmanned systems and editor-in-chief of the Unmanned Aviation magazine, explained to Gazeta.Ru. “In the USA, several interested structures have organized work in this area. Examples include the LOCUST program of the Office of Naval Research (ONR), as well as the DARPA Gremlins project,” says Fedutinov.
It is assumed that the drones will operate against an enemy equipped with modern air defense systems. It will be overcome through the simultaneous use of many drones.
To do this, unmanned vehicles must be able to interact with each other, forming an information network. This property should ensure the redistribution of combat missions in a changing situation, including in the event of some of the drones being disabled. Such UAVs, designed to withstand high losses, must be relatively cheap and consist of the most available components.
“I think promising unmanned swarms can be formed from UAVs different types, says Fedutinov. “Potentially, multicopters that are currently widespread could also be used here.”
According to the expert, there have also been some projects in Russia aimed at developing swarm technologies in relation to UAVs. However, this topic has not yet been seriously addressed in our country. To actually implement such ideas, serious government investment is needed, the expert explains. First of all, in the development of the necessary swarm algorithms. The cost of this work may exceed the cost of creating the hardware, Fedutinov emphasizes.
The US Office of Strategic Capabilities, which operates closely with the defense industry, was created to speed up the long, expensive and bureaucratic process of adopting a particular type of weapon. Management must integrate science and military industry. “Often people who have never met before are natural partners in creating promising weapons. We must use this situation for constructive purposes,” William Roper, head of the US Strategic Capabilities Office, explained his tasks to reporters.
“We want to give commanders undeniable advantages during combat operations over the enemy. We take risky concepts and bring the result of the work to a state where it can be used in combat,” the Pentagon official emphasizes.
Such American developments should be regarded as a serious threat, says Konstantin Makienko, deputy director of the Center for Strategies and Technologies. “And this, without any exaggeration, revolution in military affairs can happen quite quickly and suddenly,” says Makienko. “It will be very physically difficult to fight such swarms of small drones. No mirror counteraction is suitable here. In my opinion, only the use of radio-electronic weapons that destroy intellectual connections in such a swarm will be effective.”
The 3D-printed devices can be launched towards the enemy from a fighter or bomber. It will be very difficult to fight such weapons with conventional air defense systems; modern electronic weapons are needed against such systems.
The US Department of Defense is testing a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed for electronic and fire suppression of enemy air defense (air defense) systems and attacks on positional areas of the offensive weapons of a potential enemy. The head of what was once one of the most secret divisions of the Pentagon - the Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) - William Roper said this during a report to US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, writes the military-analytical publication The National Interest.
According to Roper, the implementation of this program will give the US armed forces unprecedented advantages in modern warfare. Mini-drones are designed and built on standard elements already developed by American industry, the Pentagon official emphasized.
The promising unmanned aerial vehicle has already received the name Perdix (Latin for “partridge”), which sounds dissonant to the Russian ear.
“They are single-use, fly at extremely low altitudes and can also be used as a reconnaissance weapon. You can have many of these mini-drones, and only as many as you need to complete the combat mission in a given case. A large number of UAVs creates considerable advantages over the enemy. He will be forced to invest much more money and time into his defense in order to reliably protect himself from such swarms,” Roper explained.
Drone of the Perdix project, named after the ancient Greek heroine Perdika
However, in his public statements, he never named any specific technologies used in the creation and operation of new drones.
The only thing that William Roper clarified is that small-sized drones can be easily launched from a carrier aircraft.
Such machines can be located in some kind of cassette on board a fighter or bomber and sent by the pilot to carry out a combat mission with the press of a button. In numerous tests, F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft are used as swarm carriers.
“Although mini-drones do have advantages in terms of combat use, according to the cost-effectiveness criterion, in comparison with many other types of weapons and military equipment, small drones still have a very limited range,” says William Roper.
According to him, the external contours of the Perdix drone are created using 3D printing to ensure rapid production and lower prices for the devices.
According to the authors of this idea, small-sized drones should fly up to their targets with the minimum possible intervals and distances between each other. One of the main problems with this is the collision of drones with each other. For safe autonomous flight, special computer algorithms are used. In this regard, the developers, in their own words, have made significant progress.
There are also serious limitations in the use of mini-drones, the authors of the program believe.
The US military is not yet able to design such vehicles that could return to the carrier aircraft from which they were launched.
American developers are now studying preliminary test results. If necessary, the necessary changes and additions will be made to the program.
The unmanned aerial vehicle mentioned by Pentagon officials is just one of many systems being developed for “swarm use,” explained Russian expert in the field of unmanned systems, editor-in-chief of the Unmanned Aviation magazine Denis Fedutinov. “In the USA, several interested structures have organized work in this area. Examples include the LOCUST program of the Office of Naval Research (ONR), as well as the DARPA Gremlins project,” says Fedutinov.
DARPA awarded four contracts for the Gremlin program
Contracts were awarded to Composite Engineering, Dynetics, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Lockheed Martin.
It is assumed that the drones will operate against an enemy equipped with modern air defense systems. It will be overcome through the simultaneous use of many drones.
To do this, unmanned vehicles must be able to interact with each other, forming an information network. This property should ensure the redistribution of combat missions in a changing situation, including in the event of some of the drones being disabled. Such UAVs, designed to withstand high losses, must be relatively cheap and consist of the most available components.
“I think promising unmanned swarms can be formed from UAVs of various types,” says Fedutinov. “Potentially, multicopters that are currently widespread could also be used here.”
According to the expert, there have also been some projects in Russia aimed at developing swarm technologies in relation to UAVs. However, this topic has not yet been seriously addressed in our country. To actually implement such ideas, serious government investment is needed, the expert explains. First of all, in the development of the necessary flock algorithms. The cost of this work may exceed the cost of creating the hardware, Fedutinov emphasizes.
The US Office of Strategic Capabilities, which operates closely with the defense industry, was created to speed up the long, expensive and bureaucratic process of adopting a particular type of weapon. Management must integrate science and military industry. “Often people who have never met before are natural partners in creating promising weapons. We must use this situation for constructive purposes,” William Roper, head of the US Strategic Capabilities Directorate, explained his tasks to reporters.
“We want to give commanders undeniable advantages during combat operations over the enemy. We take risky concepts and bring the result of the work to a state where it can be used in combat,” the Pentagon official emphasizes.
Such American developments should be regarded as a serious threat, says Konstantin Makienko, deputy director of the Center for Strategies and Technologies. “And this, without any exaggeration, revolution in military affairs can happen quite quickly and suddenly,” says Makienko. “It will be very physically difficult to fight such swarms of small drones. No mirror counteraction is suitable here. In my opinion, only the use of radio-electronic weapons that destroy intellectual connections in such a swarm will be effective.”
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