US company SmartRounds has launched a counter drone missile which can be fired from the ground or another Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The Smart Anti-Vehicle Aerial Guided Engagement (SAVAGE) missiles are self-guided ‘fire-and-forget’ projectiles designed to give military, homeland security and law enforcement the ability to deal with threatening UAVs. SmartRounds. has been issued a US patent “Non-Lethal Smart Weapons with Computer Vision” for these munitions.
SAVAGE missiles are solid fuel propelled, titanium nose cone equipped, long range guided missiles that can be fired at high velocity (~350 mph) and equipped with computer vision object detection and target tracking, a form of artificial intelligence AI. The missile impacts the enemy drone with enough kinetic energy to disable or destroy it, and is equipped with a parachute to safely return to the ground for reuse.
SmartRound’s proprietary computer vision algorithms along with an electro-optical sensor allow the missile to follow the target after it leaves the launcher by adjusting the missile’s aerodynamics and changing its direction. This ensures that the projectile will reach its target even if the UAV is moving at high speed. The on-board CPU/GPU microprocessor along with pre-programmed algorithms keep the UAV in its “sights” by means of MEMS activated fins. AI algorithms also give multiple SAVAGE missiles the ability to communicate with each other in flight to maximize their effectiveness in dealing with a “swarm.”
SAVAGE will be available in 2Q20, and field tests are planned in November 2019.
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