A Ukrainian drone has been trained to hunt down jet-powered suicide drones on its own
Ukrainian developers have released a video showing the successful interception of a high-speed aerial target by a ZIRKA drone. Its onboard computer vision system autonomously detects the target, tracks it, and adjusts its flight path, leaving the operator only to confirm the target acquisition.
The interceptor was developed by NOCTIS with investment support from Vyriy Industries and in collaboration with the Darknode division, which provided combat experience to help define the technical requirements.
A mini-computer is installed on board, featuring a computer vision model trained on real-world interception data. The system analyzes the video feed in real time and adjusts the flight path dozens of times per second, which helps minimize the impact of human error, fatigue, or the pilot’s level of training.
The drone was developed to counter high-speed and maneuverable targets, in particular strike UAVs such as the “Geran-4” (jet-powered “Shaheds”). Currently, the team is already working on the ZIRKA 2.0 modification. It will feature automatic entry into the target detection zone, new thermal imaging optics with a range of up to 2 kilometers, enhanced communications, and a function to automatically detonate the warhead near the target for maximum autonomy and scalability in combating enemy drones.
Source: zrk.tech
The Ministry of Defense has approved the Cyclops universal interceptor drone for operational use.
The Droid NW 40 robotic system has been officially adopted in Ukraine for the first time.
