The Ukrainian military has begun receiving Shrike kamikaze drones equipped with AI-powered strike kits that can autonomously track and home in on moving targets without GPS or continuous radio contact, under a $100 million contract backed by Germany.
The US company Auterion developed the Skynode S strike kit, a tightly integrated flight control and terminal guidance system that runs on a Western-made Arm system-on-a-chip. The hardware and software are being fitted to Shrike drones manufactured by Ukrainian company SkyFall. Deliveries began in mid-July, with 50,000 units planned over the coming months.
The system allows a human operator to fly the drone into a target area, designate a target up to roughly half a mile away, and then switch to autonomous terminal guidance. From that point the drone uses only its onboard camera feed to track and strike the target. This means the drone can complete its mission even if radio contact is lost due to terrain, buildings, or electronic warfare jamming.
Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier told Ars Technica that operators retain the ability to abort a strike or switch targets as long as a radio link remains active. The system relies entirely on visual information from the Shrike's main camera, eliminating any dependence on GPS, which is frequently jammed on the modern battlefield.
The Shrike drone platform costs roughly $400 per unit. It has already been used by Ukrainian forces to destroy Russian armored vehicles, artillery, electronic warfare systems, and rocket launchers. Shrike drones have also reportedly downed two Russian Mi-28 attack helicopters, each valued at up to $19 million.
The contract represents a significant expansion of AI-enabled autonomy for short-range FPV drones, which have become the most common weapons responsible for casualties on the frontlines. Previous autonomous strike systems in Ukraine, such as the longer-range Hornet drone developed by Eric Schmidt-founded Perennial Autonomy, focused on deep-strike missions against infrastructure targets rather than tactical battlefield engagements.
Reuters reported that Germany is the European country funding the order. Auterion's Munich-based team is handling fulfillment.
Sources
- Ars Technica: [US company's AI lets Ukraine's cheap kamikaze drones track targets on their own](https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/08/ukraines-drones-get-ai-upgrades-for-kamikaze-strikes-future-swarm-attacks/)
- Auterion: [Auterion and SkyFall to ship 50,000 Shrike strike drones to Ukraine's front lines](https://auterion.com/auterion-and-skyfall-to-ship-50000-shrike-strike-drones-to-ukraines-front-lines/)
