A video game-style drone attack system has gone viral among Ukrainian military units, turning real-life warfare into a digital competition. <\/p>\n
The \u201cArmy of Drones Bonus System\u201d rewards soldiers for successful strikes with points that can be exchanged for more weapons and advanced drones.<\/p>\n
Ukraine\u2019s First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told The Guardian that drone teams killed or wounded 18,000 Russian soldiers in September alone. Around 400 drone units now take part in the system, up from 95 in August. \u201cIt\u2019s become truly popular among units,\u201d he stated. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll the defense forces know about this, and there\u2019s competition for the points, for getting these drones, electronic warfare systems, and other things to help them in warfighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The system operates through an online platform called Brave1, often described as an \u201cAmazon-for-war.\u201d It offers over 100 kinds of drones and autonomous systems. Teams such as Achilles and Phoenix dominate the leaderboard, earning points for confirmed kills and other mission results.<\/p>\n
How the gamified system works<\/p>\n
The bonus system was launched<\/a> over a year ago to motivate drone teams and enhance efficiency on the battlefield. Ukrainian officials recently doubled the points for killing Russian infantry from six to twelve, a change that has led to higher casualty figures.<\/p>\n The program<\/a> now extends beyond combat drones. Artillery and reconnaissance teams earn points for confirmed strikes or for spotting enemy targets. Even logistics units can score by using autonomous vehicles to deliver supplies instead of humans.<\/p>\n Fedorov highlighted that the military is now encouraging the use of drones<\/a> partially controlled by artificial intelligence to improve targeting accuracy.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more infantry you kill, the more drones you get to kill more infantry,\u201d he explained. \u201cThis is becoming kind of a self-reinforcing cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n AI and \u201cUber targeting\u201d change the battlefield<\/p>\n Ukrainian reconnaissance teams use what they call \u201cUber targeting,\u201d a system inspired by the ride-hailing app. \u201cYou basically drop a pin on the map like you would drop yourself on a Uber map for a taxi, but instead of the taxi a drone from another unit hits the target,\u201d he elaborated.<\/p>\n Points are also awarded for specific missions. Killing an enemy drone operator earns 25 points, while capturing a Russian soldier earns 120 points. The Ukrainian cabinet approves the reward system, which has become highly technical. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re at war for four years in a row, and it is hard,\u201d Fedorov noted. \u201cWe\u2019re just finding ways to be more effective. We\u2019re thinking of this as just part of our everyday job.\u201d<\/p>\n Drone operators often work close to the frontlines, sometimes within 250 meters (820 feet), guiding their machines with computer screens and controllers. Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the Achilles drone regiment, shared that skill and discipline matter more than gaming<\/a> experience. <\/p>\n \u201cDisciplined people are the best pilots,\u201d he said. \u201cOf course, if you\u2019re younger, you can stay awake longer, and you need less time to restore your strength. But if the person is disciplined, that\u2019s a good drone operator.\u201d<\/p>\n Data, competition, and the future of drone warfare<\/p>\n The competition among units is fierce but cooperative when combat intensifies. Commander Andriy Poltoratskyi described, \u201cThe whole unit has a competition. The drone operators compete with each other. Groups of drone operators compete with other groups. Even the highest commanders compete with each other.\u201d <\/p>\n He added that when Russians launch offensives, \u201cthe competition stops and everybody works together.\u201d<\/p>\n The gamified system has also produced a large dataset that helps the Ukrainian military study the \u201cmathematics of war.\u201d <\/p>\n