The anti-jamming tech helping Ukraine combat drones at the cost of smartphones

Auterion, a Switzerland-based open-source autonomous computing tech provider, has unveiled a new solution that allows militaries to combat drones at the cost of smartphones.

Auterion’s Skynode S is an all-in-one drone computer and flight controller that allows fully autonomous flights to reach and destroy ground targets with significant accuracy. Offering swarm control, fully autonomous flight, and immunity to jamming, Skynode S boosts success rates from 20% to over 90%, according to the company.

The low-cost, NDAA-compliant technology has already proven useful in combat missions in Ukraine by empowering Ukrainian forces with advanced computer vision to counter the loss of GPS and radio frequency targeting in electronic warfare.

The anti-jamming feature of SkyNode S is certainly a game-changer. Traditional drones often fall prey to electronic jamming, a common tactic used to disrupt military operations by severing communication links and navigation systems. SkyNode, however, is built to withstand these disruptions, detecting and mitigating jamming threats in real-time. This capability provides a crucial advantage, ensuring that military forces can rely on their drone support regardless of the electronic warfare tactics employed by adversaries.

Moreover, Auterion has priced its software comparably to a smartphone, allowing US manufacturers to democratize high-tech combat drones and outpace Chinese competitors. Additionally, Skynode S features a targeting app compatible with regular computers, marking it apt for commercial usage as well.

Auterion explains that Skynode S was developed with government and industry partners in the US, EU, and Ukraine over several months, including hundreds of test flights and successful front-line engagements by Auterion’s Ukrainian customers.

“Skynode S is dual-use – it also allows civilian operators to deploy small, low-cost drones in for example restricted airspace or indoors, and to integrate the full range of cameras, radios, and on-board apps onto the platform. It enables the deployment of unmanned systems running AI and computer vision applications at quantities that make a strategic-level impact,” the company says.

Lorenz Meier, founder and CEO of Auterion, sums up, “Our technology is transforming the battlefield to help democracies defend themselves. We are proud to contribute to the Ukrainians’ effort with smarter, more accurate, and cost-effective technology that allows them to use drones at an increasingly massive scale to repel the aggressor.”

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