Ukrainian forces have for the first time deployed an AI-based drone “mothership” developed within the Brave1 defense cluster, announced Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
According to him, the drone mothership delivers two strike FPV drones up to a distance of 300 km. These strike drones can autonomously detect and engage various enemy targets — from aircraft to air defense systems and critical infrastructure.
If the mission is conducted within 100 kilometers, the drone mothership can return for reuse.
One mission costs $10,000, which is 300 to 500 times cheaper than launching a missile.
The new development uses the SmartPilot system based on visual-inertial navigation — without GPS — relying on cameras. Navigation accuracy is enhanced by a LIDAR system, and artificial intelligence independently identifies and selects targets.
