DARPA's Service Academies Swarm Challenge

DARPA has been conducting the Service Academies Swarm Challenge as a way to get a grip on how swarm warfare may be conducted. The teams are allowed to pick a mix of different types of drones in order to play, yes, capture the flag. Some of the base algorithms for how the swarms interact and target are provided but the cadets are encouraged to come up with their own. Additionally, the mix of drones are entirely up to the cadets. The videos give some good background, but sadly don't say or show the end results of the swarm battle.





I have to admit, I wonder if there will be no A-10 replacement as we know it. Rather we might have something like the Global Hawk that drops swarms of expendable drones, like the PERIDEX with a XM-25 grenade warhead or Coyote with a 80mm mortar bomb (etc), that get assigned to the FAC and he (or she) use the swarm to build up a picture of what the unit is facing and then destroy it with a rain of suicide drones.

a reply to: anzha

Well..
Handheld and stationary EMP weapons sound like the next thing to invest in to stop these drones.

Interesting OP

a reply to: GraffikPleasure

or nets

XM-25 grenade warhead or Coyote with a 80mm mortar bomb

Doubt they will crack open a T90 but be great for technicals...

a reply to: penroc3

Depends on how small the drones are and if they would be able to fly through the nets...

a reply to: Blackfinger

Don't have to. Disabling them is good enough. Pop a track, crack a motor, or any of 4 or 5 different things to reduce their effectiveness.

a reply to: Zaphod58

flak rounds! Everything old is new again.

a reply to: anzha

Why not? They did the job. People far too often get stuck on destroying equipment, when the reality is that you only have to take their capabilities away. A mission kill does just as much.