A NATO ally is building automated defenses against Russia's drones to let fewer soldiers do more
Latvia is building a Ukraine-inspired automated wall of anti-drone defenses on its border with Russia.
Nina Liashonok / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images Latvia is building an automated anti-drone wall along its border with Russia.
Soldiers will make engagement decisions, leaving other tasks to be completed autonomously.
The system aims to defend against cheap drones without relying on costly fighter jets and missiles.
NATO member Latvia is building a wall of automated anti-drone defenses along its border with Russia, with human soldiers responsible only for deciding when and whether to fire.
It aims to detect and neutralize "any drone which flies in," defense minister Raivis Melnis told Business Insider.
And the goal, he explained, is to "build an autonomous system" that leverages the technology to "reduce the number of soldiers" required "to operate those systems." "The only thing which will be left for the soldier is the final decision to neutralize," he said.
"Otherwise, detection, tracking, and launching, that's autonomous." Latvia's decision comes as automation is becoming increasingly common in weaponry and defense tech, including in Ukraine, where technology has advanced to enable AI and computer vision to find targets , fly drones, and drive robots even when connectivity with an operator is lost.
Latvia wants this kind of autonomy across its new network of radars, sensors, command-and-control systems, and interceptor drones.
A Latvian BLAZE autonomous interceptor drone at an air base in Latvia.
Gints Ivuskans / AFP via Getty Images As a neighboring country, Latvia is particularly concerned about the possibility of Russian aggression.
It has reported multiple drone incursions .
These have included drones that it said were Russian or that had entered its airspace as a result of Russian electronic warfare.
Latvia, a country of fewer than 2 million people, sees automation as a way to boost its combat power without more troops.
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