"In one of the most significant tests of autonomous systems under development by the Department of Defense, the Strategic Capabilities Office, partnering with Naval Air Systems Command, successfully demonstrated one of the world’s largest micro-drone swarms at China Lake, California," the release stated.
The test consisted of 103 Perdix devices that were launched from three F/A-18 Super Hornet jets, the release added. Although the United States military have been using drones for nearly 20 years, the new generation of remotely controlled devices is capable of flying in a swarm.
"The micro-drones demonstrated advanced swarm behaviors such as collective decision-making, adaptive formation flying, and self-healing," the release added.
In 2013, the Perdix drone, designed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was modified for military use. Since then, its software and hardware has been continually updated in different design generations. The latest test demonstrated the sixth generation of the Perdix drone, the release noted.
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