How AI-guided Lancet drone reached central Kyiv: expert explains why EW struggles against such UAVs
An expert says Lancet drones equipped with visual target-recognition systems operate autonomously and do not require external control signals.
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Russian drones with autonomous guidance search for targets using stored images / © TSN
Debris from a Russian Lancet drone, reportedly equipped with artificial intelligence, fell in central Kyiv.
According to Defense Express, the use of such a UAV may have been intended to demonstrate the latest capabilities of Russian strike drones.
Military analyst and retired major Oleksii Hetman said on Kyiv 24 that the operating principle of such drones differs from most UAVs that rely on external control.
According to him, drones described as having «artificial intelligence» use visual target recognition. The drone stores an image of the object it must find.
«It has a photo in its memory, or even a short video. It searches for the target by analysing what its cameras see. It’s roughly like when we photograph a flower and ask Google what it is, ” the expert explained.
During flight, the drone’s camera scans the terrain and attempts to find an object that matches the image stored in its memory. Once the target is identified, the drone automatically adjusts its course.
«It searches for the target without using external control signals. It flies autonomously, ” Hetman said.
Because of this autonomy, such drones are difficult to suppress with electronic warfare (EW).
«Electronic warfare jams external control signals, but here there are none. It is essentially an inertial guidance system. The drone flies independently, ” he said.
However, this does not mean such drones cannot be destroyed. Hetman said the same counter-drone systems used against «Shahed» drones can be effective.
«How do we fight it? The same way we fight other „Shaheds“ — with anti-drone systems. Electronic warfare cannot neutralize it, ” he said.
Such drones can only be physically shot down, the analyst added.
Is it really artificial intelligence?
Hetman also said the term «artificial intelligence» should not be taken literally in this case.
«There is no real artificial intelligence. It is simply the ability to process a large amount of information at once. It does not think or analyze, it just searches for the required image and flies towards it, ” he said.
According to him, Ukrainian counter-drone systems already demonstrate high effectiveness and have attracted interest from international partners.
«Our anti-drone systems work quite well. Even the United States sometimes seeks assistance regarding such systems, ” he added.