Ukraine tests AI-assisted interceptor drones to stop fast Geran attacks

In short: Ukraine is trying to build faster interceptor drones, and add AI control, to catch Russia’s jet-powered Geran attack drones that are harder to shoot down.

What's going on

Ukraine is racing to field high-speed interceptor drones designed to chase and hit Russia’s jet-powered Geran drones. Geran drones are used as one-way attack drones, and the newer jet versions fly much faster than older propeller types.

According to Ukrainian officials, the Geran-5 can reach about 375 mph, or 603 km/h. Many Ukrainian interceptor drones top out around 300 to 400 km/h, which makes catching the jet-powered drones difficult. Officials have reported interception rates of roughly 50 to 70% against the jet-powered drones, which is lower than the success rate against older, slower models.

A newly unveiled Ukrainian interceptor has reportedly shot down two Geran-5 drones during combat testing. For now, it is still flown by a human operator. Former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the next goal is autonomous flight using AI, meaning software that can make some flying and targeting decisions on its own (like a car’s driver-assist system, but for a drone in the air).

What to watch

Speed is only part of the problem. At more than 400 km/h, some prototypes have been hard to control and have crashed during testing. Ukraine is also trying multiple designs, including jet-powered interceptors and upgraded propeller-driven models, and leaders say these interceptors are only one piece of a wider air-defense system, not a single fix.

Source: NYTimes