Forum – Kamikaze Drones & Kinetic Shields: The new battlefield

The face of warfare is changing—and it’s smaller, smarter, and more autonomous than ever before. This presentation takes the audience on a journey from the history of airpower to today’s rapidly evolving robotic battlefields, where myriads of low-cost, loitering “kamikaze” drones and coordinated swarms are redefining tactical and strategic thinking. Are we witnessing the end of manoeuvre warfare as we know it?

We will explore the technologies and doctrines behind this shift: decentralised drone swarm architectures for saturation strikes, the rise of “navigation warfare” and satellite-independent guidance, as well as the growing need for reliable drone detection and defence. New sensor technologies and kinetic countermeasures are emerging to protect forces, infrastructure and civilians from these airborne threats.

The talk offers an accessible yet critical look into how defence research, including work from ISL (www.isl.eu), is responding to this complex and sensitive challenge—with a focus on technology, ethics, and strategic implications.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Technische Universität München Garching, Boltzmannstraße 15, Garching bei München, Germany

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