MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. The future embedding of artificial intelligence algorithms into Russia’s Gerbera drone that is used as a carrier for FPV drones will allow it to independently select a greater number of targets for destruction, Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), said in an interview with TASS.
He said that this drone can be equipped with high-power munitions, including thermobaric ones, for strike missions to breach fortified areas and destroy key energy facilities, military infrastructure, and logistics. At the same time, the drone’s tactical capabilities are being expanded. The Gerbera currently serves as a mothership drone for more compact FPV drones, which, in turn, increase the number of potential targets for destruction. "And in the future, with the gradual implementation of artificial intelligence algorithms, these FPV drones will be able to independently make decisions on the destruction of critical facilities, including enemy strategic logistics targets, without stable communication channels," Stepanov said.
The expert noted that the performance capabilities of drones used by the Russian Armed Forces have significantly expanded. All unmanned aerial vehicles are becoming more versatile and modular, capable of addressing several tasks simultaneously. Given the Gerbera's range of up to 300 km and its payload capacity, it can perform both reconnaissance and strike missions. "The introduction of AI into its control system fits well with the logic of technological development trends, allowing for the introduction of new tactical approaches and the refinement of the strategy for using unmanned reconnaissance and strike systems," Stepanov concluded.