IN Brief:
- SwarmShot will first be integrated with Palladyne AI’s Gremlin-X Group 1 aircraft before a planned kit is developed for compatible aircraft from other manufacturers.
- Palladyne is responsible for avionics, fire control, terminal intercept autonomy and coordination between multiple aircraft.
- Planned development includes recoil and stability testing, live firing trials, safety controls and integration with external sensors and command systems.
Palladyne AI, Federal Ammunition and Mossberg have started joint development of SwarmShot, a modular airborne counter-UAS system that combines autonomous coordination, avionics, fire control and an airborne weapon module on an unmanned aircraft.
The first configuration will be developed around Palladyne’s Gremlin-X Group 1 quadcopter. The companies then plan an integration kit for compatible aircraft from other manufacturers, separating the counter-UAS payload and control architecture from one specific host platform.
Palladyne is responsible for aircraft integration, avionics, fire control, terminal intercept autonomy and coordination between multiple interceptors. Federal is developing the ammunition and terminal effect, while Mossberg is responsible for the lightweight airborne module and related mechanical and safety requirements.
The electronics and software stack combines Palladyne’s BRAIN avionics with its SwarmOS collaborative autonomy software. That arrangement is intended to allow several aircraft to coordinate their movements rather than operating as independent remotely piloted systems. The system also has to connect the autonomous flight behaviour with the final engagement sequence through the fire control layer.
That control problem extends beyond ordinary drone navigation. An interceptor has to receive or establish information about a target, manoeuvre into an appropriate geometry and avoid conflict with other aircraft operating nearby. When several interceptors are involved, their routes and timing also have to be coordinated so the group does not duplicate effort or interfere with its own members.
Earlier Palladyne work has demonstrated SwarmOS connecting mixed unmanned aircraft into US Army command networks. That work established SwarmOS as a coordination layer across different aircraft. SwarmShot applies the same collaborative autonomy concept to an interceptor role while adding the avionics and control functions needed to connect the aircraft with the airborne module.
The planned integration kit makes the interfaces between those elements part of the product architecture. An aircraft from another manufacturer would need to support the physical payload, electrical supply, data interfaces and control functions required by the SwarmShot equipment. Platform specific integration will still be necessary because payload mass, centre of gravity, available power and flight control behaviour differ between aircraft.
Recoil introduces another constraint for a small unmanned platform. A force applied during firing can disturb attitude and position, and the flight controller has to recover without losing stability or the intended trajectory. Payload placement also changes the centre of gravity, while the mass of the airborne module and ammunition reduces the capacity available for batteries or other equipment.
The companies say development work will include ammunition and terminal effect testing, airborne integration, recoil and stability work, live firing trials, safety controls and coordination between multiple interceptors. Integration with external sensors and command systems is also planned, allowing target tracks to originate elsewhere in a wider counter-UAS architecture.
External sensing separates detection from interception. Radar or electro-optical systems can maintain surveillance over a larger area, while the interceptor carries the effect towards the target. The command interface has to provide enough track information for the aircraft to approach the target and transfer to its own terminal guidance and control functions.
SwarmShot is described as reusable, unlike a one way interceptor that is consumed during each engagement. Reuse depends on the aircraft surviving the engagement, retaining sufficient energy to return and remaining serviceable after firing. The economic comparison will also depend on maintenance, ammunition and the number of aircraft needed for a particular threat.
The system remains in development. Palladyne, Federal and Mossberg have not disclosed a qualification date, production timetable, contract value or committed customer. Recoil testing, live flight work and integration with aircraft from other manufacturers still sit ahead of validation of the complete architecture.
BRAIN avionics, SwarmOS coordination, fire control and integration with aircraft from other manufacturers are defined elements of the SwarmShot architecture. The coming test work will determine whether those components can operate together within the size, weight, power and stability limits of small unmanned aircraft.
