US drones are equipped with GPS-independent missiles

The US military is promoting a project called the Symbiotic UAS Delivery System, or SCBDS, which aims to equip drones with a small, highly efficient missile.

This initiative aims to create a small weapon designed so that special operations forces can conduct multiple fire-and-forget attacks using medium-sized drones, while also using advanced target identification systems.

According to the US Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) call for proposals, this program is for UAVs that fall into Category 2 or 3; That is, drones with a maximum take-off weight between 9.5 and 600 kg. This plan is part of a broader effort by the US military to increase the efficiency and offensive power of drones in modern operations.

Details released in the latest SBIR solicitation outline the performance objectives of a lightweight UAV-launched munition that operates without the need for post-launch guidance. According to DefenseNews, this weapon should be self-propelled and be able to carry out attacks against people or equipment with a range of more than 4 kilometers, without needing to be guided by the launching drone after firing.

In these documents, strict limits on size and performance are set: the entire system must weigh no more than 2.3 kg, of which about 0.9 kg must be allocated to the effective explosive charge. This weapon must reach a speed of at least 100 kilometers per hour and hit at a distance of less than 5 meters from the target, even in conditions where GPS access is not possible. This feature is intended to ensure the weapon’s effectiveness in the harsh electronic battlefields.

One of the main goals of the SCBDS project is to develop a missile that can operate effectively in environments with severe electronic interference; The challenge that the war in Ukraine has clearly shown. GPS jamming by Russia has significantly reduced the effectiveness of systems such as ATACMS, HIMARS and Excalibur, while British analysts have estimated that Ukraine could lose around 10,000 drones by 2023 due to electronic interference.

The US military expects computer vision to play a major role in guiding the system. Using a small inertial navigation unit (IMU) with pixel-locking technology and AI-based image recognition, the missile can locate and destroy targets even when radio or GPS communication is lost.

Electronic disruptions on the battlefield have led both sides in the Ukraine-Russia war to use fiber-optic guided drones that are immune to radio interference. However, a true self-propelled missile with an internal guidance system that is small enough to be launched from lighter drones, such as the 18 kg ScanEagle, would be a powerful and autonomous tool for special operations teams in the absence of air support.

This project will start with the first phase (feasibility study), then enter the second phase (prototype making) and finally end with the third phase (commercialization). In the SBIR documents, it is mentioned that this technology, in addition to military applications, can also be useful for commercial drones; Especially in areas such as delivery services, bridge inspection and hazardous materials identification, which can benefit from the advanced computer vision capabilities of this system.