German defense company Rheinmetall and American company Auterion have signed an agreement to jointly develop standardized software for military drones. The goal of the project is to create a single operating system capable of integrating more than 200 types of unmanned systems used in Ukraine, which will significantly simplify their operation and increase their effectiveness on the battlefield.

Auterion CEO Lorenz Mayer emphasized the importance of interoperability between autonomous systems:

"In the context of the general transition from manned to unmanned systems, it is essential that autonomous systems be able to interact with each other."

The key element of the new system will be Skynode, a general-purpose computer and flight controller developed by Auterion. Skynode has already been tested in combat conditions in Ukraine, demonstrating its resistance to electronic interference and the ability to control a swarm of drones.

Timo Haas, Chief Digital Officer at Rheinmetall, said that using a single operating system would reduce training costs for operators and ensure compatibility between different unmanned systems. This is especially important in a situation where many different drone models are used on the battlefield.

The cooperation between Rheinmetall and Auterion aims to create NATO standards for unmanned systems, which will allow allies to effectively cooperate in combat situations. The partnership also reflects the desire of Western countries to strengthen their defense capabilities.

Earlier it was reported that Rheinmetall transferred a batch of SurveilSpire reconnaissance systems to Ukraine to combat drones, which underlines the company's active participation in supporting the Ukrainian armed forces.