US firm upgrades Ukrainian FPV drones with autonomous AI tracking

Ukrainian drone operators have successfully destroyed numerous Russian armoured vehicles on the ground as well as military helicopters in mid-air using Shrike drones equipped with explosive payloads. These inexpensive units now receive significant enhancements through an artificial intelligence system capable of autonomously tracking and homing in on moving targets without human intervention during critical phases of flight.

In mid-July, Ukrainian forces began receiving upgraded Shrike drones manufactured by the local company SkyFall. These units incorporate AI-powered autonomy hardware and software developed by the American firm Auterion. The companies intend to deliver 50,000 drones fitted with Auterions Skynode S strike kits over the coming months. This upgrade allows human operators to manually fly Shrike first-person view drones into a battlefield area, designate a target up to half a mile away and then switch the unit into fire-and-forget terminal guidance mode.

Operators retain the ability to abort a strike or select a different target provided they maintain a radio signal connection with the drone. However, the system enables automatic tracking and flight towards targets even if that connection is lost due to buildings blocking signals, terrain interference or enemy jamming on specific frequencies. The software relies solely on visual information from the drones main onboard camera to home in on objectives.

This capability means Shrike drones can track and strike moving targets without reliance on GPS, offering a crucial advantage where satellite navigation jamming has become common. This could enhance success rates for remotely piloted units that have already struck vehicle-size targets since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Targets include armoured tanks, electronic warfare systems, artillery guns and rocket launchers.

Reports indicate Shrike drones have taken down two Russian Mi-28 helicopters valued at approximately $19 million each according to the Kyiv Independent. Until now, Ukrainian forces mainly relied on manual guidance for most missions except mid-range strike drones such as Hornet units developed by California-based Perennial Autonomy. Those larger drones often fly beyond frontlines to target oil refineries and energy infrastructure.

Auterion focused its efforts on creating AI capabilities for cheaper shorter-range FPV drones that have become the primary weapons responsible for casualties on the frontline. The company developed a tightly integrated flight control system optimised to run on a Western-made Arm system-on-a-chip costing just $18. Each SkyFall Shrike drone equipped with this capability costs about $2,000 compared to manual units priced at roughly $400.

Western militaries continue purchasing precision munitions at six or seven figures per shot according to Auterion co-founder Lorenz Meier. The 50,000 drones funded by a $100 million contract from an unnamed European country represent the largest delivery order for Auterion so far. Reuters reported Germany as the funding nation with operations fulfilled by Auterions team in Munich.

Auterion previously committed to delivering 33,000 strike kits backed by a Pentagon contract valued at $50 million scheduled for July 2025. These kits enable future software updates allowing single operators to command autonomous swarms attacking multiple targets simultaneously during live-fire exercises demonstrated at Camp Blanding in Florida.

Swarm capability allows drones to work together prioritising higher-value objectives and adjusting as targets are destroyed without wasting munitions on the same objective after initial direction from an operator. Meier noted that if a swarm is kicked into strike mode all units engage while abort commands affect the entire group simultaneously.

Autonomous capabilities simplify piloting skills regardless of whether operators control single drones or swarms potentially helping Ukraine deploy more assets with limited personnel. Training individuals to operate these systems reportedly takes within 60 seconds according to Meier who emphasised keeping humans in target selection decisions until adversaries force autonomous versus autonomous engagement scenarios.

Meier praised Ukrainian forces for accepting initial battlefield failures and iterating through improvements informed by combat experience rather than requiring perfect products initially. This contrasts with strict Pentagon schedules limiting companies ability to return weeks later with improved products after failing selection stages under the Drone Dominance program.

The US military will eventually require a common operating system enabling command systems to work seamlessly with autonomous drones from various manufacturers as deployment scales up. Meier described long-term ambitions of creating software ecosystems allowing different application developers to create tools for diverse drone types drawing on experience developing open source standards used in the industry.