Inside Russia's Push for AI-Powered Drone Autonomy: Two Key Tech Paths Emerge

Russia is actively developing and fielding AI-driven autonomous control systems for drones, but for now, their use remains almost entirely military. Maxim Kondratiev, founder of a drone training center and academician at the Russian Academy of Engineering, told Lenta.ru that while these technologies are being tested and deployed, civilian applications are still rare. "Systems based on artificial intelligence are being developed, tested, and used right now, but only for military missions," he explained.

Kondratiev outlined two primary areas of autonomous control. The first is AI-enhanced navigation, particularly optical navigation: a downward-facing camera analyzes the ground below to pinpoint the drone's location without relying on GPS or other satellite signals. The second is an automatic targeting system that searches for, identifies, and locks onto objectives. For remote piloting from across Russia, the main hurdle remains communications links. The domestic Starlink alternative, a satellite system called Rassvet from bureau 1440, currently has only about 10 satellites in orbit, and building a full constellation will take years.

To bridge that gap, mesh networks are already in widespread use on Geran-series drones. When dozens of these aircraft are airborne together, they create a seamless relay infrastructure that allows control far beyond the horizon. Kondratiev noted that the government is channeling nearly all its resources into developing, producing, and scaling up military drone tech. Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry reported that AI in the Molniya-2 drone helps it overcome radio interference and track targets using machine vision.

Source: Lenta.RU