Drone Swarms and their Potential within the Australian Defence Force

The onset of the war in Ukraine saw one of the most dramatic shifts in combined arms warfare since the introduction of the machine gun. This shift is attributed to the wide scale introduction of drones to the modern battlefield (Kagan et al, 2024). Principally the conflict is demonstrating drones pioneering new capabilities in reconnaissance, close air support and strategic strike with virtually zero risk to the operator. Furthermore, Air Marshal Chipman, former Chief of the Air Force, announced on the eve of the 2023 Avalon Air Show that Australia needs to consider and invest in low-cost mass-produced (LCMP) drones. The announcement acknowledged the sharp rise in the use of drones and their significant contribution to air power. Critically cheap UAVs have significantly lowered the bar for entry to high level military capability (Arnold, 2022) previously only enjoyed by large well-funded militaries, consequently, Australia must now innovate on the technology rather than simply follow global trends for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to maintain its competitive and technological edge. One way for the ADF can achieve this is by moving from single drone systems to the introduction of swarms of drones acting in unison, combining their roles and capabilities for a collective output greater than the sum of its parts.