Ukrainian company WIY Drones has unveiled a comprehensive air-defence system featuring autonomous interception of aerial targets. The company said so in a press release.
Under the company’s concept, the operator selects the priority target and oversees mission execution, while the system carries out the subsequent interception stages automatically.
According to the developers, the system already demonstrates automatic interceptor take-off, navigation without using GPS, entry into a designated interception sector, as well as recognition and tracking of an aerial target using artificial intelligence algorithms. At the final stage, thermal-imaging guidance is used.
One of the key components is SineLink technology. It provides navigation using ground beacons in areas where the GPS signal is unavailable or jammed by electronic warfare. To maintain communications, the ground control station uses an antenna that automatically tracks the drone and can rotate 360 degrees. Notably, this technology is also used on STING interceptor drones, which have been integrated into MAGURA MV11 uncrewed boats
According to WIY Drones, the system is also integrated with the SkyMap platform, which consolidates information from radars and other means of detecting aerial targets. In the future, the system is expected to interact with radar stations, other interceptors and air-situation control centres. The company also reports cooperation with European partners, including Polish manufacturers of radar systems.
For now, the final decision to engage the target remains with the pilot: after the drone is automatically brought into the interception sector, he confirms the target and manually detonates the warhead.
WIY Drones said it is working on automating the final stage. The automatic detonation function has already passed internal tests and is currently being refined. If implemented, the operator will only need to choose the target and oversee the entire mission, while the interception is expected to take place in automatic mode.
WIY Drones is a Ukrainian developer and manufacturer of unmanned systems and technological solutions for the security and defence sector. The company creates end-to-end solutions covering interceptor drones, reconnaissance and strike UAVs, ground control stations, software and automation technologies.
Recently, the Brave1 defence cluster, together with the Main Directorate for Defence Innovations of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, conducted large-scale tests of modules for automatic final targeting of drones on moving ground targets.
Overall, the Defence Forces use more than 70 types of systems based on artificial intelligence and machine-vision technologies to engage enemy targets.
“And on the state defence-technology marketplace Brave1 Market, defenders have access to 46 AI developments, including target-recognition modules, optical stabilisation and automatic final targeting,” the Ministry of Defence reported.