Interceptor drone Terra A1 Autonomous: Terra Drone uses AI to detect and track hostile drones

Terra Drone, a drone manufacturer from Japan, has launched a new interceptor drone: the Terra A1 Autonomous. On this model, flight control, target acquisition and the tracking of hostile drones are handled by artificial intelligence.

The company is thus taking its new business area a step further. In March this year, Terra Drone entered the defence business and set up joint ventures with three Ukrainian companies.

Why Terra Drone is developing an autonomous interceptor drone

Drone defence must withstand large-scale attacks by drones that are themselves low-cost. At the same time, personnel with the advanced skills needed to counter fast-flying drones are becoming scarcer. With the new, autonomously operating drone, Terra Drone aims to offer a cost-effective and sustainable solution to this situation. It is intended to compensate for the fact that experienced drone pilots can no longer realistically be deployed around the clock along extensive front lines.

The company is also responding to the global defence market's growing need for autonomous flight and tracking technologies. This need arises because mere remote control by humans reaches its limits in swarm attacks or electronic jamming. AI enables rapid and continuous defence and relieves drone pilots.

How the Terra A1 Autonomous works

The new drone is coming onto the market after the development of two guidance phases was completed: mid-course guidance, in which the drone automatically approaches the target after launch from a distance of 7 kilometres down to 200 metres, and terminal guidance, in which it autonomously detects and tracks the target at a range of up to 800 metres.

In flight, the AI of the Terra A1 Autonomous analyses camera images in real time and identifies target drones. Their position and speed are continuously recorded, and the drone independently adjusts its own flight path to pursue them. A pilot no longer has to steer continuously, and interception accuracy has been increased.

To accompany the launch, Terra Drone has published a video. Using several examples, it shows how the functions of the Terra A1 Autonomous work:

• AI-based target acquisition
• autonomous navigation
• autonomous tracking
• automatic flight path correction

Four factors for competitiveness

In Terra Drone's view, its competitiveness depends on four factors coming together:

• combat testing in practice
• price competitiveness
• AI-assisted autonomous navigation and defence
• a production and export network that enables global marketing and expansion

Terra Drone intends to develop an interceptor drone platform that combines all four factors together with leading defence companies from various countries, based on its products already “combat-proven” in Ukraine. In parallel, the company is working continuously with its Ukrainian partner companies to improve AI algorithms and autonomous interception performance using real operational data. This is intended to make its offering more attractive to governments and companies.

The Terra A1 Autonomous is to be offered not only as a stand-alone interceptor drone. A complete solution with radar, sensors, communications and command and control (C2) systems is also planned. This would cover all steps – detection, identification, tracking and interception – from a single source.