Bottom-up Drone Innovation

Initial situation and problem

Small drone systems – cheap, fast, and produced in large numbers – have changed the battlefield of current conflicts. The Swiss Army is therefore examining new approaches to defensive capabilities. The aim of the Bottom-up Drone Innovation (BUDI) innovation project was thus to gain important insights using commercially available drones (so-called ‘commercial off-the-shelf’ products, which can be ‘taken off the rack’). How do drones change operational procedures and combat techniques at the soldier, group, and platoon levels?

The Swiss army has a limited number of resources when it comes to drones. These are expensive, and training for the flying objects is time-consuming, so they have been scarcely available to the general army. However, the findings from the current conflicts show that they are indispensable. Moreover, the innovation cycles of drone warfare are measured in weeks, not years. Traditional procurement processes are not suited to this task. The bottom-up approach promised rapid remediation and appropriate learning progress:

Solution

For CHF 20,000, drones were purchased to enable the introduction and training of four companies. A mountain infantry battalion was supported by the Swiss Innovation Forces. In this context, drone pilots were trained, while various platoons and their commanders were trained in the handling of their own and enemy drones.

The BUDI project followed four phases:

1. Purchasing: Decentralized purchase of commercially available drones by the companies with the support of the Swiss Innovation Forces.
2. Integration: Adaptation of drone use to exercise routines, including civilian certifications and safety measures.
3. Exercise: Documentation and ongoing optimisation of drone operations in realistic scenarios.
4. Completion: repatriation of the drones and consolidation of the findings by an ad hoc research team.