A new type of drone swarm has been rapidly developed in a secret project between the Swedish Armed Forces and Saab, Minister of Defense Pål Jonson (M) announced at a press conference during People and Defense in Sälen.
The new technology is now to be introduced into the army during the year.
With a new software that is mounted on drones, these should be able to form swarms and do work automatically without the operator having to take care of all the details. This can involve guarding a road and sending images back, scouting for enemy objects and flying home for recharging.
However, the software can easily be supplemented with new functions, for example to allow drones to carry a bomb.
Swarms of drones with the new software will be used in the Arctic Strike 25 military exercise in March.
Developed in record time
In addition to giving the Army a new drone capability, the project aims to find processes that allow the defense to more quickly adopt innovations and use them in its operations.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the drone project would normally take 4-5 years to develop. Now it has taken a year because the army chief and the defense minister were personally involved to speed up the process.
The experiences from the drone project will be presented in an investigation later this spring with recommendations for rule changes at ministries and authorities. The goal is for the Swedish Armed Forces to be at the forefront of technological development at all times by being able to quickly adopt innovations.