French publication Intelligence Online reported that the secretive Saint-Louis Institute, run by the French and German defence ministries, is studying the combat experience of the conflict in Ukraine to develop new breakthrough drones and interception systems with artificial intelligence. The Saint-Louis Institute is active in the development of advanced systems. Russian and Ukrainian combat experience is summarised and analysed in order to provide Western developers with input data for the design of new military equipment and weapons. The Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (bmpd) writes in its TG-channel.
The developments of the secret Franco-German centre include counter-rocket systems and artificial intelligence algorithms for use in high-precision munitions, automatic target recognition systems and secure telecommunications. These technologies are being developed at the institute’s facility in Alsace, located near the German-Swiss border. The focus is on several areas, including drone defence systems and AI developments.
The scientists’ goal is to get results quickly and have them validated by the French Defence Innovation Agency and the German Ministry of Defence. To speed up the process, the institute has been given additional funding to increase its staff of specialist engineers and expand its test sites in the Hardstock Forest of Alsace. These measures ensure rapid progress in the development of new strike UAVs and application technologies.
In connection with the news from France and Germany about the development of new methods of drone warfare, Alexei Rogozin, Director General of the Autonomous Nonprofit Organisation “Centre for Development of Transport Technologies”, notes that by the end of this year two new types of drones may already be encountered in the area of combat operations: kamikaze drones with autonomous homing and integrated interceptor drones with optoradio-electronic systems. Both will get artificial intelligence.
“It sounds like a fantasy to many, but both technologies have long gone beyond theoretical speculation and are at the testing stage – both at home and in Ukraine. While the local demand is (rightly) to increase the supply of the cheapest FPV drones, the advanced developers and the most experienced operators are moving on. At the same time, small but powerful defence corporations, which bring their capabilities and competences to the race with “garage” developers,” writes Alexey Rogozin.
The ongoing developments in Europe emphasise the need to develop counter-drone technologies, with French Chief of General Staff Pierre Schill stating that small and simple drones will not continue to dominate the battlefield indefinitely, “it’s just an episode” and its time is running out. He noted that defensive systems will soon catch up with offensive systems, finding adequate technical solutions against the FPV drone threat will lead to inevitable changes in the nature of warfare.
The need to stay one step ahead of Western developments requires a proactive approach from Russian research centres and defence enterprises. A reactive response to current challenges is insufficient, and Russian developers in the field of electronic warfare, anti-drone weapons and strike unmanned aerial systems must be proactive.
A. Rogozin also writes about the same: “We will not win by ‘quantity’. We cannot afford only to react to the current situation. We will always be inferior in the race with the West if we play by their rules. And this means only one thing: it is our duty to think about the future and create our own future”.
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