Latest news with #Swarmer
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Swarmer and SpiderOak Partner to Secure Autonomous Drone Operations in Contested Environments
Strategic collaboration delivers zero-trust security and resiliency for military autonomous swarm operations, including those deployed in electronic warfare zones RESTON, VA / ACCESS Newswire / May 19, 2025 / Swarmer, a leading provider of autonomous drone software, has entered into an agreement with SpiderOak, the leading cybersecurity company powering zero-trust solutions for the tactical edge. As part of the agreement, Swarmer will integrate the SpiderOak platform to provide secure interactions and revocation to its autonomous software platforms. This integration specifically addresses the challenges of securing communications for autonomous fleets operating in contested environments, including electronic warfare zones in Ukraine. Swarmer's technology enables uncrewed air, sea, and ground vehicles to communicate and coordinate autonomously without human intervention, even when GPS and RF communication are jammed. This allows for adaptive mission execution through coordinated swarm formations - allowing one operator to control hundreds of drones. The SpiderOak platform provides a unique combination of security controls plus guaranteed eventual delivery designed for autonomous operations at the tactical edge. With SpiderOak, Swarmer's autonomy software can ensure any to any message exchanges in the formation are authenticated, authorized, and encrypted without additional networking controls or certificate management. The low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) requirements and decentralized security model eliminate the need for additional infrastructure, making SpiderOak ideal for autonomous operations in challenging environments. 'SpiderOak simplifies how our warfighter replenishes losses in theater ensuring replacements are authenticated and authorized to join the operation, while ensuring that lost and potentially compromised assets are revoked,' said Swarmer's Co-founder and CEO, Sergey Kuprienko. 'Autonomy at the edge brings a new set of security and communication challenges to the digital battlefield, especially with autonomous systems in contested or unreliable environments. Our mesh platform provides zero-trust access control and data exchange without the infrastructure or connectivity overhead that traditional security tools require. We are excited to partner with Swarmer to bring this next generation capability to market,' said Dave Pearah, CEO of SpiderOak. 'As we've seen in contemporary combat, autonomous fleets are significant force multipliers on the modern battlefield-but without robust security, they can become liabilities instead of assets. As missions evolve and new systems are added to the fight, the ability to authorize and authenticate every mission, operator, and data flow in real time will become essential. The integrity, confidentiality, and adaptability of these systems must be baked in from the start. The side that secures its data and controls access dynamically will have a significant competitive advantage,' said Lieutenant General Ken Tovo, U.S. Army (Retired); former Commanding General, US Army Special Operations Command About Swarmer Founded in 2023, Swarmer is revolutionizing autonomous UAS operations on the battlefield with a software system that enables drones (and robots) to operate autonomously and work together in large teams. With the team's background in the world's leading tech companies, and with boots on the ground in real conflict zones, Swarmer's mission is to enable individual operators to control hundreds of drones simultaneously - drones of any manufacturer, type, or purpose. Swarmer's technology allows uncrewed vehicles to be interoperable and work together seamlessly. Learn more at About SpiderOak SpiderOak is a 100% U.S.-owned and operated software company dedicated to solving the computer security challenges of the 21st century. Our technology allows applications to secure all interactions between each other, providing strong assurances of authority and identity and the flexibility to integrate with existing systems, software, and devices beyond centralized cloud services and data centers to the far reaches of the tactical edge. For more information about SpiderOak products, services, or business development opportunities, check us out at Media Contact Escalate PR for SpiderOak [email protected] SOURCE: SpiderOak press release
NDTV
12-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Modern Warfare: Facing Russian Drone Problem, Ukraine's Underground Solution
As thousands of explosive-laden drones scour both sides of the front in Russia's 39-month-long war on Ukraine, armoured vehicle and their crews are being moved underground. To keep them safe and the artillery operational. A new video shows a Ukrainian artillery crew taking cover in a muddy dugout along the more than 1,130-km-long front line. The clip features a 2s1 "Gvozdika" (Carnation) 122mm self-propelled gun in a shelter so deep it struggles to climb out for a fire mission. The entrance is temporarily cleared of strong anti-first-person-view (FPV) drone netting. A Ukrainian 2S1 "Gvozdika" (Carnation) 122mm self propelled gun has a dugout so deep it struggles to get out for a fire mission. It is great to see the strong anti-FPV protective netting temporarily pulled aside at the entrance. — Roy???????? (@GrandpaRoy2) May 7, 2025 The four-man team operates the 18-tonne howitzer from deep underground in a hideout dug using heavy machinery. Logs reinforce the shelter, while a thick net protects against Russian drones. Similar images released by Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade near Russia's Kursk Oblast suggest more artillery units are now adopting such underground defences. In a dugout of Ukrainian gunners. These Mykolaiv Marines operate a 2S1 Gvozdika 'Carnation' 122mm self propelled howitzer. 1/2 — Roy???????? (@GrandpaRoy2) April 3, 2024 Ukraine is using nearly two million FPV drones every month. The FPVs are small, fast, and dangerous machines that can cause serious damage. Russia is using a similar number. These drones are controlled either by wireless signals or fibre-optic cables from several km away. Although FPV drones pose a serious threat, they are not infallible. Wireless-controlled models can be jammed, and fibre-optic variants leave behind a visible trail that could expose their operators. Still, the most reliable defence may be physical barriers like armour, mesh, or even dirt. Dirt, in fact, provides such effective protection that more vehicle crews are transforming into what one observer called "subterranean creatures." But this isn't easy. Digging these hideouts demands excavators and skilled operators. Several Ukrainian units have begun crowdfunding for excavation equipment. Last year, Ukraine began developing AI-powered drones to fight back against Russia's growing use of signal jamming. Traditional FPV drones became less effective, with hit rates for new pilots dropping to just 10 per cent. To fix this, Ukrainian tech firms built smarter drones that use AI to spot targets and complete missions even without a live signal. One startup, Swarmer, created software called Styx that helps groups of drones fly and strike together without much human control. These AI drones are now hitting targets with up to 80 per cent accuracy. The next goal is to cut costs.
