System rewards soldiers who achieve strikes with points that can be used to buy more weapons in an online store

A computer game-style drone attack system has gone “viral” among Ukrainian military units and is being extended to reconnaissance, artillery and logistics operations, the nation’s first deputy prime minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, has told the Guardian.

Drone teams competing for points under the “Army of Drones Bonus System” killed or wounded 18,000 Russian soldiers in September, with 400 drone units now taking part in the competition, up from 95 in August, Ukrainian officials said.

The system, which launched more than a year ago, rewards soldiers who achieve strikes with points that can be exchanged to buy more weapons in an “Amazon-for-war” online store called Brave1 filled with more than 100 different drones, autonomous vehicles and other drone war material. It has a leaderboard topped by teams with names such as Achilles and Phoenix.

  • TheAsianDonKnots@lemmy.zipEnglish
    54·
    22 hours ago

    That would be hilarious if Ukraine pulled an Ender’s Game and

    Spoiler

    The drones were real.

    • Q*Bert Reynolds@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      18·
      21 hours ago

      “Computer game-style drone attack system” means a drone attack system in the style of a computer game. It is real. They gamified the killing.

    • cecilkorik@lemmy.caEnglish
      10·
      22 hours ago

      Release game for free on Steam. Surprise! All war objectives complete in 3 days.

      • GlitchyDigiBun@lemmy.worldEnglish
        8·
        22 hours ago

        I could see this as training data for automated drone intercept systems. A swarm of 20 pilotless drones cresting a cops of trees in perfect synchronicity far faster than a chinese sync’d drone show would make any ground-pounder shit their pants.