Rheinmetall pitches unmanned mothership full of tiny attack drones

While the drone carrier idea is not new by itself, the design was likely influenced by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in Ukraine, according to Samuel Bendett, research analyst at the U.S.-based Center for Naval Analyses.

“There is a need in Ukraine to provide kamikaze quadcopter capability and delivery beyond the technical specifications of these small drones,” he said.

Bendett points out that both the United States and China have been experimenting with the concept for years, while Russians officials were recently discussing the possibility of launching the Molniya small combat drone from the larger Grom platform.

“At this point, it’s about who will get there first – and the cost in this is a factor,” said Bendett. “In actual combat, this type of drone delivery can be targeted by the adversary, so lowering the cost of such operations is the correct path forward,” he said.

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