AI upgrade lets Ukraine's low-cost kamikaze drones strike autonomously
Ukraine's inexpensive Shrike FPV drones are being outfitted with AI technology from US firm Auterion, allowing them to track and hit moving targets without GPS or constant operator control. A 50,000-unit order worth $100 million is underway, with Germany reportedly footing the bill.
Ukrainian forces have extensively used $400 Shrike drones to destroy Russian armor and helicopters. Now these cheap drones are being enhanced with AI autonomy. Starting in mid-July, the Ukrainian military began receiving Shrike drones from SkyFall equipped with Auterion's Skynode S strike kits. The companies aim to deliver 50,000 such drones in the coming months.
The system lets an operator manually fly the drone, designate a target up to half a mile away, then switch to autonomous terminal guidance. The drone can continue tracking and striking even if radio contact is lost due to terrain or jamming, relying solely on its camera visuals—no GPS required. This is crucial in modern battlefields with widespread GPS jamming. Shrike drones have already claimed tanks, electronic warfare systems, artillery, and rocket launchers. They reportedly brought down two Russian Mi-28 helicopters worth up to $19 million each.
Previously, only longer-range AI drones like the $5,000 Hornet from Perennial Autonomy did autonomous strikes. Auterion targeted cheaper FPV drones, integrating a flight controller with an Arm chip costing $18. Each upgraded Shrike costs about $2,000, compared to $400 for manual versions. The 50,000 order is funded by a $100 million contract from a European country, widely reported as Germany. It is Auterion's largest order to date; earlier, a $50 million Pentagon contract funded 33,000 kits.
Future software updates could enable one operator to command a swarm. Auterion demonstrated this at Camp Blanding, Florida, where a pilot directed three autonomous drones to hit separate targets. Swarms can prioritize high-value targets and avoid duplicating strikes, all without human input after initial direction. Training is simple—Meier claims operators learn in 60 seconds.
Meier stressed that Auterion insists on human involvement in target selection, though adversaries might force autonomous-to-autonomous combat. He praised Ukraine's fast innovation cycle, contrasting it with the Pentagon's rigid Drone Dominance program. Auterion aims to bring battlefield lessons to the US and is building a software ecosystem for drone applications.
