With a new software that can be mounted on almost any type of drone, drones will be able to form swarms and perform tasks automatically without the operator having to handle all the details.
They can be as many as you want, thousands if you want, says Saab's CEO Micael Johansson.
He also states that a soldier can learn to use the software in a few days.
It's not about piloting drones, but you give them a mission on an iPad or mobile phone, then the drone swarm goes out and does it.
The drones can be used, for example, to guard a road and send back images, such as detecting enemy objects. By using swarms, large areas can be covered and if some are disrupted, the rest reorganize to continue covering the entire area.
Like "trucks"
Using the software to enable drones to carry weapons and attack enemy soldiers has not been part of the project.
You can update this software and do fantastic things in the long run, says Saab's CEO.
The Army Chief of Staff Jonny Lindfors sees the drones as "trucks" that can carry any load.
But the fundamental principle that still applies is that in an armed operation, there must be a human who makes the decisions, he says.
Exercise planned
Getting the new system to the units is estimated to take a year, but soldiers at I13 have already started training on it. In March, drone swarms will also be used in the Arctic Strike exercise in Sweden.
Lindfors states that the Swedish Armed Forces are purchasing drones and that it involves tens of thousands. How much the software from Saab costs is secret.
Besides new drone capabilities, the project aims to find processes that enable the defense to quickly adopt innovations.
"Uniquely fast"
According to Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M), such a project normally takes 4-5 years to complete. This took a year.
It's uniquely fast, he says.
The speed is important for the Swedish Armed Forces to always have access to the latest technology. The fact that it went so fast this time is due, among other things, to the Army Chief of Staff and the Defense Minister being personally involved and quickly able to give decisions on what is and is not allowed according to the rules of authorities and departments.
An investigation will be conducted in the spring, based on the experience from the drone project, to propose changes to the regulations that are needed.
