Page 8 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2022 Online Magazine

Autonomy, an AI-driven flight autonomy soft- OFFENSIVE CAPABILITIES
ware, with a foldable, highly portable airframe
that can withstand the most demanding Not every nano military asset is for situational awareness and spy
environments. X2D features dual color optical work. Leonardo DRS’ Land Systems business unit is working with
thermal sensors and is equipped with GPS- SpearUAV to develop a version of Spear’s VIPER nano-scale aerial
based night flight and strobe lighting. munition for the US market. The two companies will adapt the VIPER
to meet the emerging requirements of multiple U.S. military cus-
With Ukraine’s effective use of nano drones in tomers. The vertical-launch quad-rotor provides warfighters at
thwarting Russia highlighting their capabilities, the tactical edge with an affordable, simple-to-use, and effective
there has been a surge of interest in such assets. organic aerial munition against a variety of targets, including those
The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) recently in defilade. According to officials, VIPER allows operators to destroy
went against U.S. wishes when it purchased an immediate threats like enemy snipers and RPG teams without relying
undisclosed number of Matrice 300 RTK drones, on higher-level assets.
built by Chinese company DJI Drones. The MoD,
which had previously used the Chinese drone In September this year, the British Army successfully demonstrated
to monitor battlefield exercises on Salisbury swarming dronesÓ technology as part of the service’s nano-Un-

Plains, has also signed a $3.6 million contract for manned Aerial Systems (nUAS) project. As part of the project, a
Skydio X2D drones. Skydio will deliver the UAVs in military operator controlled as many as six drones at the same time,
partnership with Marlborough Communications with each drone carrying out a separate task. According to analysts,
Limited (MCL) as part of the MoD’s Future a swarm of nano drones can be used offensively, alongside bigger
Capabilities Group (FCG) nano UAV initiative. armed drone or manned fighter aircraft, to overwhelm the enemy.

“Skydio’s drones represent a strategic advan- “This is a real amplifier, adding capacity, force protection, intel-
tage on the battlefields of today and tomorrow, ligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities,” says
enabling soldiers to obtain real-time, unprece- Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Dawe, Commanding Officer, Infantry Trials
dented situational awareness,” says company and Development Unit (ITDU. “The intent going forward is to add
CEO Adam Bry. “We are proud to partner with a precision strike capability. This will not only assist in our targeting
MCL in providing this capability to the UK armed but also in our strike capability, therefore making us more lethal at
forces.” range which will protect our very valuable forces and people.”

8 | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/ADT