The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed 200 or more of the jets-turned-drones to support the opening phase of any assault on Taiwan, where they would be used less like remotely piloted aircraft than as cruise-missile-like weapons to strike Taiwanese, US or allied targets in large numbers.
The partnership involves the deployment of production of FPV drones and interceptors directly in the United States. The Ukrainian side will provide combat experience and technological developments, and the American partner will provide a scientific and technical base.
"The acquisition of Aechelon will accelerate the work we are doing with Hivemind, particularly in simulation like the Department of War’s JSE. It’s an incredible company with a fantastic team and a leading technology that plays a role in how we think about the AI pilot development lifecycle."
“Autonomous drone swarming is becoming an imperative for strategic advantage and mission success on the modern battlefield. Near-peer adversaries are moving quickly to develop systems that can operate in coordinated, decentralized ways.”
Bird of Prey is designed to seamlessly operate within NATO's integrated air defence architecture via established command and control systems centred around Airbus’ Integrated Battle Management System (IBMS).