A Ukrainian company that builds a system for shooting down enemy drones has opened it up so outside engineers can upgrade it themselves, a change that could let battlefield defenses keep pace with fast-changing threats, Defence Blog reported. The system, called I-SEE, now comes with open software tools that let outsiders bolt on new weapons and features. Until now, only its maker could change it.
A system that spots and stops drones
The I-SEE platform finds, tracks, and shoots down drones, with a central program that picks targets and decides when to fire, Defence Blog reported. Right now, it uses net guns. A net gun fires a weighted net that tangles a drone’s blades and brings it down. The company is testing gun turrets and signal jammers in the lab. It says small interceptor drones — which ram or blow up enemy drones — are coming soon. Before this, only I-SEE’s own team could add anything new.
Ukraine’s newest drones don’t need Starlink. Russia spends $1.5 million to jam it anyway.
Three ways outsiders can build on it
The system opens up in three ways, Defence Blog said. First, a data connection lets other software pull what I-SEE sees — where drones are, what they are, and live video — into the maps and command screens a unit already uses. Second, a starter kit makes hooking in so simple that one engineer can do it in an evening. Third, and most important, outsiders can write a small add-on and drop it in. It might add a new screen, mark up the video, or run a brand-new weapon.
The machine keeps the trigger
Spotting drones, picking targets, and deciding to fire all stay inside a protected core. Every add-on runs in a sealed-off space with limited reach. An add-on that controls a weapon can aim and fire that weapon on command. It cannot override a targeting choice or shoot on its own. If an add-on crashes, it fails alone, and the rest keeps running.
Why it matters on the front
Drones change faster than armies can buy new gear. A system that reached the front half a year ago can already meet drones that nobody expected. I-SEE’s bet is to let units, integrators, or hired engineers build the fix in days, not months. Ukraine has raced to field cheap drone-killers, from net guns to automated turrets and interceptor drones.
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