Autonomous swarms are the future of drone warfare
[
](https://www.economist.com/)
[
](https://www.economist.com/)
undefined undefined
Subscribe to The Economist
Unlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newsletters
Subscribe to The Economist
Unlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newsletters
Science & technology | Stronger together
Much of the innovation is being carried out in Ukraine
Flying soloPhotograph: The Fourth Law
Mar 24th 2026|5 min read
DRONES HAVE become a standard weapon of war. Small quadcopters currently inflict the majority of casualties on the battlefield in Ukraine, and in recent weeks Iran has rained thousands of larger drones on the cities, airfields and oil facilities of the Middle East.
Already have an account?Log in
Continue with a free trial
Get full access to our independent journalism for free
Or create a free account to unlock just this article
Explore more
More from Science & technology
How good is infant formula?
Perhaps less than its marketers say
How plants keep tabs on the competition
They grow faster when their rivals are doing the same
Ancient DNA is rewriting the history of plague
Dense cities do not seem to have been necessary for outbreaks of the disease
The chocolate industry is built on the labour of bloodsucking midges
Researchers have now confirmed how cacao plants are pollinated
The coming El Niño could be the strongest ever recorded
That is bad news for a warming world
A new drug targets one of cancer’s master switches
The pancreatic-cancer drug could be the first of an entirely new class of treatments
readers loved this