Autonomous swarms are the future of drone warfare

Drones have become a standard weapon of war. Small quadcopters currently inflict the majority of casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine, and in recent weeks, Iran has rained thousands of larger drones on the cities, airfields and oil facilities of the Middle East.

For all their destructive potential, however, they are personnel-heavy to operate. Unless a drone is directed along a pre-programmed path, even the smallest can require up to six people to control and maintain. It would be more efficient if that ratio could be flipped: if one person could control many drones at once and, better still, if each drone could coordinate with its neighbours to strike a single target. Such drone swarms are fast becoming a reality.