The Russia-Ukraine war showed an even greater intensity as the former used its AI-equipped drones for military operations.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov mentioned that troop training should be pursued further to use AI-equipped drones effectively and that these AI drones are important to his country.
Russian-Made AI Drones Make a Huge Difference
It was during one of Belousov's last visits to a drone technology center that he witnessed firsthand how AI worked with drones. According to Reuters, the brief demonstration showed a simulation where one soldier used a drone with AI-powered automatic image recognition to target a small boat on a river. The drones are, in all respects, precision and autonomous, thus very advanced.
The soldier told Belousov that it was already capturing the subject, which in this case was the boat.
"Even if there is a loss of control, it will steer the drone towards it," the serviceman added.
Two batches have already been deployed in eastern Ukraine and the Belgorod and Kursk regions of Russia. These places had been a hotbed of conflict, especially in the aftermath of the surprise incursion that Ukrainian forces made over the border in August.
"The guys are fighting, and fighting very successfully," Belousov said, referring to the drone-equipped units.
Further Drone Operations Expansion
Plans have also been disclosed by Belousov to increase the capabilities of Russia's military by adding five more units, with AI-empowered drones, allowing them to work around the clock without any stoppage in the carrying out of drone missions.
To achieve these plans, Belousov emphasized training for soldiers such that they were competent enough to handle and operate the drones during wartime. This idea of training proves that Russia is very aggressive in adapting AI-powered drones into its military affairs.
Russia Boom in Drone Manufacture
Russia has significantly intensified the production of its drones in the context of the present confrontation, and last month it also declared that its drone production is increasing tenfold, with which 1.4 million units are likely to be produced by the end of this year.
Such an intense rise in the production of drones has clearly proved that Russia continues to gain technological superiority in this war—and Vladimir Putin knows that they need to continue ramping up the production.
Clearly, Russia is placing a large bet on this technology to make itself strategic in the ongoing conflict. As the war in Ukraine moves forward with military operations, AI-powered drones will play an even larger role on both sides of the battlefield.
Ukraine Will Catch Up with Its Own Drones
Ukraine has also caught on to the role of drones in modern warfare. Ukrainian forces have been targeting military-related and critical energy infrastructure within Russian borders using drones.
The latest one was last month when a Ukrainian drone attack resulted in a massive explosion at a Russian weapons depot in Tver. It was claimed that the impact was so forceful that it would be considered an earthquake, further testifying to the level of damage drones can cause.
Related Article: AI Drones Leveraged to Detect Underwater Mines by US Navy
