- Metre-long drone designed for indoor operations is armed with twin shotguns
- ‘i9’ has been created in response to casualties suffered in barricaded buildings
- The drone uses AI to identify its targets while being operated by a remote solider
The Ministry of Defence has unveiled a drone armed with twin stabilised shotguns that uses AI to identify its targets.
The drone has six rotor blades and is attached with a camera to provide a live-stream of indoor conflicts to a remote solider, who fires the device’s weapons.
A first prototype of the metre-long machine, which is designed only for indoor combat, has been called the i9.
MoD has developed the flying ‘armed fighter’ with an undisclosed British company to deploy specifically in urban situations, such as buildings barricaded by armed personnel.
‘UK Strategic Command has been developing a capability under Project i9 to develop an armed urban warfare unmanned aerial system (UAS),’ MoD told MailOnline.
‘Project i9 has successfully created a prototype capability, which is being used for experimentation with end users now.
‘This type of UAS will reduce the threat to life of personnel by giving tactical commanders the option to send a remotely-controlled machine into dangerous scenarios rather than put personnel or military working dogs at significant risk.’
MoD told MailOnline it is unable to provide photos of the prototype, as it’s been developed with a UK start-up that is in negotiations around Series A funding, and is therefore in ‘stealth mode’.
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