Ukraine Has Already Deployed Swarms Of Drones In The War Against Russia

• 3.10.2026, 18:08

It's time for NATO to get moving and learn from others' experiences.

Ukraine is already using systems in which several drones operate as a single group, exchange data, and autonomously assign tasks. NATO has modern drones, sensors, and artificial intelligence systems at its disposal, but has not yet fully integrated this approach into its military doctrine, procurement, and training, writes CEPA (translation by Charter97.org).

“Autonomous systems are already changing the nature of war, and the alliance must adapt,” write CEPA experts.

This does not mean a complete abandonment of human involvement. The operator still verifies the target and makes the final decision to strike, while the software helps multiple drones simultaneously navigate, exchange information, and distribute tasks. This is particularly important in electronic warfare conditions, when GPS and other communication channels may be jammed.

Ukraine has already gained significant combat experience. Since April 2024, the Swarmer software has been used in more than 100,000 combat missions, including in conditions where satellite navigation was jammed.

NATO must draw on this experience when developing its own standards. First and foremost, the Alliance must determine what data can be considered sufficiently accurate and verified for autonomous systems to make decisions.

“Buying a swarm of drones without defining the data architecture is like buying a fighter jet without a radar,” the authors note.

They also urge NATO to take intelligence infrastructure into account when procuring drones and to involve Ukrainian military personnel and developers in testing and training for new systems.

NATO’s main challenge is time. Drone technology is advancing faster than military doctrines and procurement procedures. The Alliance needs to prepare now, rather than wait until such systems appear on the battlefield against it.