On December 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended an exhibition in kyiv showcasing the latest in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ground robotic systems and swarm control technologies. drones. The event highlighted both Ukrainian-made drones and those developed within the framework of German-Ukrainian cooperation, including cutting-edge AI-based targeting systems and autonomous ground robots.
Innovations in drone warfare have become a defining element of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. Unmanned vehicles of various sizes, operating in the air, on land and at sea, play a central role, with technology advancing rapidly on both sides.
The office of the Ukrainian president reported that the drones presented at the event include models with artificial intelligence (AI) systems, developed in collaboration with German companies, designed to acquire targets autonomously. Additionally, one of the drones presented was the result of the efforts of a localized German company, which opened a production and maintenance center in Ukraine to support previously delivered weapons.
Representatives of the manufacturing companies briefed the two leaders on the specific features and operational capabilities of these advanced systems. Scholz and Zelenskyy have seen combat examples of these drones in use, with an emphasis on the integration of computer vision and automatic targeting systems. These systems aim to increase the effectiveness of Ukraine’s defense efforts by improving accuracy and the ability to engage targets more effectively.
Ukrainian Liga Publication Remarks that the exhibition also included drone models resembling the Iranian Shahed and Russian Lantset drones, which are used by Russia to carry out regular attacks against Ukraine.
However, the Shahed-shaped delta-winged vehicle is much smaller than the Shahed 136, widely used by Russia in its daily attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, but it is comparable in size to the Shahed 131, carrying a warhead smaller. Meanwhile, the ‘Lantset’ appears larger than the original and has longer wings, although shaped in the cruciform configuration of the Lantset.
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