103 micro-drones launched from jets to test swarm technology
Raw video: Defense Department shares footage of Perdix micro-UAV swarm demonstration
A stunning video released by the Department of Defense shows a swarm of micro-drones being released by fighter jets.
The demonstration of the Perdix micro-UAV swarm was held at China Lake, Calif. on Oct. 26, 2016. Three F/A-18's were deployed to launch the swarm of tiny drones, according to the Department of Defense.
The drones, which have a wingspan of 12 inches, can operate autonomously and share a distributed brain, the BBC reports, and could be used for surveillance.
In the Department of Defense video, the drones can also be seen flying through the air like a swarm of high-tech bees.
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The U.S. military is keen to harness the power and versatility of microdrones. The U.S. Navy, for example, has already demonstrated its Low-Cost UAV Swarming Technology (LOCUST), which aims to deploy swarms of compact drones.
Another goal of the U.S. military is to develop flying ‘aircraft carriers’ to deploy drones.
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