The US military has been testing a new variety of micro - drone that is able to swarm together with century of others . Although far from being amply operational , a recentlive demonstrationshows that the future of warfare is certainly going to be quite different from the one the world is presently used to .

Bringing the world of video recording games and movies to life , three F / A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets released 103 drones   over China Lake in California last October , where they successfully used their distributed “ brain ” to chop-chop gather together and “ overwhelm ” a virtual mark .

These Perdix drones have a wingspan of just 30 centimeters ( 12 inches ) . These nimble mechanical critters are able to elude atmosphere defense systems , and will likely be used for surveillance design in the near - hereafter .

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The Perdix pilotless aircraft swarming together . DVIDSvia Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

“ Perdix are not pre - programme synchronized somebody , they are a corporate organism , share one distribute encephalon for conclusion - making and accommodate to each other like swarms in nature , ” William Roper , the director of the Strategic Capabilities Office , toldBBC News .   “ Because every Perdix communicates and collaborates with every other Perdix , the cloud has no leader and can graciously adapt to lagger inscribe or exiting the team . ”

Drone warfare is n’t new at all – remote-controlled , remotely - piloted aircraft are used to assassinate people on the soil all the metre . However , with the speedy developing of AI and hive mind mechanics , the use of drones is quick becoming far more complex .

prepare - wing UAV swarms in China . NightmareButterflyvia YouTube

Although these are marked for surveillance purposes , there ’s nothing to say that they ca n’t be arm and used to fence an unfortunate butt . Swarming in the hundreds , an in advance air defence organisation could pip a few of them down – perhaps even most of them – but not all .

These Perdix drones are an example of this , using somewhat basic programming and intercommunication to be able to acquit as one unmarried unit . They even have acounterpart in China , whose state - have China Electronics Technology Group Corporation showcased 67 swarming drone late last class .

LOCUST testing.usnavyresearchvia YouTube

The Perdix drones have challenger from within the United States too . Take the US Navy ’s low-spirited - price UAV Swarming Technology ( LOCUST ) program , a cannon that fires swarms of drones into the sky at a moment ’s bill . Then there ’s the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPA ) , who are n’t just working on asimilar swarm programme , but another where“vampire drones”are able to sublimate and literally disappear in sunlight .

The hereafter is just a few steps off – and who make love , considering the secretive nature of military action , perhaps some of these drones are already in operation across the humans .