The German defense company Rheinmetall is working with the US software developer Auterion to develop uniform standards for controlling unmanned aerial vehicles. The aim of the cooperation is to establish a uniform operating system that makes autonomous drones from different manufacturers compatible with each other and increases the efficiency of modern warfare technologies.

The transition from manned to unmanned systems requires that autonomous units can communicate with each other," explained Lorenz Meier, CEO of Auterion.

Timo Haas, Chief Digital Officer at Rheinmetall, emphasized the need for a homogeneous system given the multitude of drones in use. "A common operating system enables scalable and efficient use of unmanned systems, which is crucial in modern warfare.

Auterion is already part of a U.S. Department of Defense initiative to develop an open-source standard for autonomous systems. The company hopes that the partnership with Rheinmetall will promote a similar approach among NATO allies.

If each NATO country has its own communication standards for drones, joint operational capability is hindered," said Meier. Therefore, cooperation with Rheinmetall is intended to serve as a catalyst for standardization within the alliance.

The experiences from the Ukraine war have significantly accelerated the development of autonomous systems. "Software-defined" warfare, combining precision and scalability, is the focus of the modern defense industry. Rheinmetall has established itself as a leading player in this context.

Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in warfare. AI is increasingly used to optimize decision-making on the battlefield. An example is the analysis of tank movements to maximize tactical advantages.