Source: Telegraph
The Army has successfully tested a new landmine-hunting drone.
The drone uses AI to detect and identify explosives buried in the ground.
If successfully deployed in combat, they could revolutionise the way wars are fought, speeding up how soon troops can clear a minefield and making it safer to do so.
Bomb-disposal experts from 33 Engineer Regiment put the experimental system through its paces at their base in Essex.
Officers used drones equipped with sensors to scan for mock mines and explosives before using AI tools to locate and identify munitions.
Luke Pollard, a defence minister, said the new tech could help to remove troops “from harm’s way” while speeding up operations and improving their effectiveness.
“This is defence innovation working at wartime pace, and it is delivering exciting results,” he added.
Landmines are one of the most significant threats to soldiers on the ground. The conflict in Afghanistan saw the Taliban littering the battlefield with improvised explosive devices, which injured hundreds of British troops.
Traditionally, personnel would have to painstakingly pick their way through a field, using bayonets or ground-penetrating radar to locate explosives buried beneath the surface.
Other methods included using trucks with mounted metal flails to tear up the ground and detonate the bombs or using a specialist minefield breaching system, such as the UK’s old Python vehicles. The system worked by firing a 656ft explosive hose that created a safe path after detonation.
The new drone was developed by scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). The trial tested the ability to retrain AI models to recognise new threats in different environments.
Major Mark Fetters said: “The modern battlefield is littered with explosive ordnance. The equipment being developed by DSTL will allow explosive ordnance disposal operators to conduct their mission faster and will remove people from the explosive hazard.”
The trial is part of a broader transformation of UK defence capability, driven by lessons from the conflict in Ukraine and set out in Britain’s strategic defence review.
Ukraine is the most mined country in the world, with hidden bombs having injured almost 2,000 people since the start of Russia’s invasion more than four years ago. A UN report suggested 23 per cent of the country now needed surveys to find mines or explosives.
Kyiv is developing its own fleet of AI-integrated flying drones that can reportedly survey minefields “100 times faster” than a human, covering almost 33,000 sq ft a day.
Last year, the US army revealed it was testing new sensors, AI and four-legged robots to hunt landmines. Similar tests were carried out by the South Korean military last month.
