The Norwegian Army has launched a new comprehensive drone programme worth 1.5 billion Norwegian kroner. The initiative involves the development and testing of both surveillance and attack drones, as well as new swarm technology. The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) has developed the underlying software in the first system now being implemented.
During this year's Army Summit in Oslo, Army Chief Lars S. Lervik presented the new programme. The aim is to build the ground forces of the future and utilise experiences from Ukraine.
– They are world leaders in the field and today use drones in all domains – land, air, and sea, says Lervik on the Armed Forces' website.
The programme consolidates all drone activities in the army under a new function led by Colonel Kai Solem, including the training of new drone pilots and support to Ukraine via an international capacity coalition.
– The goal is for drones to become a natural part of everyday life for soldiers and units throughout the army, says Lervik.
FFI has simultaneously showcased the first delivery of a Norwegian-developed drone swarm, where the software is developed at Kjeller and licensed to the company Six Robotics. The swarm consists of cooperating drones that can perform missions together, reducing the need for manual control and increasing efficiency.
– We have focused on how an operator team can utilise multiple drones simultaneously. The goal is for the operator not to have to control each unit individually, says Rikke Seehuus, research leader at FFI, in a press release.
According to FFI, the technology is a result of long-term research in autonomous systems, where the swarm technology builds on previous projects such as the autonomous underwater vehicle Hugin.
– Norway is at the forefront in this area. The combination of long-term research and close collaboration with the defence allows us to quickly develop practical solutions, says Research Director Øyvind Sjøvik at FFI.
The drone swarm now delivered is an early version, but further development is ongoing. FFI has recently been approved as Norway's first test and design organisation for military unmanned aerial vehicles.