Testing drone swarms

At the beginning of December, the German Armed Forces set an important milestone for future combat operations at the Army Combat Training Center on the Altmark military training area near Hillersleben: for the first time, a drone-based reconnaissance and combat network and so-called loitering munitions were deployed live in combination. To achieve this milestone, various technologies based on artificial intelligence had to be closely integrated.

In the experiment, this reconnaissance and action network consisted of various reconnaissance drones, AI-supported command and control software, and loitering munitions from various manufacturers. Loitering munitions are munitions that circle over a target area for an extended period of time until they are assigned a target via data link and the attack command is given. This makes the German Armed Forces one of the first armies in the world to begin developing the capability to deploy unmanned swarm networks.

The testing was carried out under the leadership of the Bundeswehr Planning Office in close cooperation with the newly established Bundeswehr Innovation Center, the Bundeswehr Institute for Materials and Supplies (WIWeB), the Center for Digitalization, and the German Army. More than ten companies were involved on the industry side. The Command & Control Unmanned Management System Bundeswehr (C2-UMS Bw) developed by the German Armed Forces played a central role in this. This software allows various types of drones and weapons, as well as their respective control software, to be combined into an effective system.

With this, the German Armed Forces are beginning to implement the NATO concept of “Multidomain Operations” (MDO). The orchestrated interaction in the dimensions of land, air, sea, cyber, and space is intended to help overwhelm the enemy in order to gain an advantage. Implementing this approach involves the comprehensive digitalization of the Bundeswehr, the introduction of future technologies, and the use of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence for decision support.

The successful experiment provided practical proof of the effective use of loitering munitions in the Bundeswehr and laid the foundation for the use of AI-based systems in combat.

About the Bundeswehr Planning Office

The Bundeswehr Planning Office is part of the Bundeswehr's support structure and is a higher command authority based in Berlin, Bonn, and Taufkirchen. In times of growth and development of the German Armed Forces, it ensures joint planning for all military and civilian organizational areas from a single source. In addition, the Planning Office's scientific support extends to all areas of the German Armed Forces.

Further information is available at the following link:

German Armed Forces tests use of drone swarms