US Aiming to Deploy AI-Controlled Drones

The US Air Force is looking to field at least 1,000 unmanned combat drones, including several hundred within the next five years, capable of operating autonomously thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) technology, reports the Wall Street Journal.

"The Air Force wants to develop at least a thousand mini-drones," the newspaper writes.

It is noted that such unmanned combat drones will be designed to accompany and protect manned aircraft such as the F-35 or B-21 bombers. They will also be capable of carrying their own weapons to attack other aircraft and ground targets, as well as being used as reconnaissance aircraft and "communication nodes."

As the publication highlights, "The technology that enabled aircraft to be flown remotely is being replaced by software that allows planes to fly autonomously and adapt to changing combat conditions."

According to the newspaper, the budget for the drone program is set at $6 billion, with prototypes being developed by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics, and Anduril Industries. The Pentagon plans to select two of these companies for its contracts by summer.

The periodical points out that the development of drones in the US is being driven by a sharp increase in the cost of existing aircraft, as well as advancements in aircraft software development. It is emphasized that the US Air Force's aircraft fleet is currently the smallest and most outdated since the establishment of the Air Force as a separate branch of the armed forces in 1947.