Turkish defense industry company MilSOFT, which offers software-based solutions to security forces, has developed software for use with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a herd or swarm concept.

The use of swarm UAVs offers various advantages such as low hardware costs, difficult detection by enemy forces, and asymmetric threats against large platforms. Working in integration with the intelligence/image plotting solutions, herd UAVs can strengthen the capabilities of existing intelligence systems by introducing additional capabilities such as discovery, detection, recognition, search and rescue, vehicle tracking, and relay creation.

A limited number of countries including Turkey have herd technology and have tested it in the field.

According reports, the MilSOFT product can be used in both rotating- and fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. The solution will pave the way for a UAV herd accompanying helicopters to perform a frontal attack and provide operational support when commands are given from helicopters. MilSOFT intends to transfer the software solution to underwater and surface platforms and land vehicles.

The company’s testing (shown above, image courtesy MilSOFT) has fielded five UAVs jointly, with the software capable of linking up to 25 in the simulation environment. MilSOFT aims to make a UAV swarm of 50 operational vehicles soon.