The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which handles a range of defense-related projects, has released a new video showing a swarm of drones surrounding a target.
This video was shown as part of the DARPA Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET, OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics) program. The goal of the program is to develop technology that will eventually allow small infantry units to use swarms of 250 drones in combat. Each of the devices can stay in the air for up to 30 minutes.
According to DARPA, the OFFSET program is designed for "difficult urban environments" where buildings are located in close proximity to each other and it is difficult to monitor the object. The agency is developing the OFFSET technology with a view to being applicable to both unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground systems.
The test took place at the Fort Benning, Georgia military base, where a team of operators used a swarm of drones to "isolate urban targets." During the mission, a simulation of an operation to isolate two city blocks was carried out. DARPA describes the operation as "similar to when the fire brigade sets up boundaries around a burning building."
The demonstration in Georgia was the second of a scheduled six tests under the OFFSET program. If all goes according to plan, such field experiments will be conducted by DARPA every six months.
Source: 3dnews.ru