Destinus to Enhance Hypersonic Drones with AI Vision

The drone manufacturing startup Destinus plans to acquire the Swiss company Daedalean for 180 million Swiss francs ($223 million) to enhance the AI capabilities of its UAVs and hypersonic aircraft, reports Bloomberg.

Destinus produces a range of strike and reconnaissance drones: Lord, Ruta, Hornet, D, E, G, including hypersonic versions with AI piloting. These drones are supplied to Ukraine in large quantities.

Daedalean specializes in developing autopilots and aviation systems based on machine learning and computer vision without the aid of satellites or GPS. Their products aim to minimize human involvement in flights.

Initially, the company focused on electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft intended to operate as air taxis. However, commercializing this direction proved challenging.

The deal is expected to close by the end of 2025.

It reflects the growth of investments in the defense sector amid European countries’ efforts to increase military budgets. Special attention is given to UAVs and unmanned systems, which have become crucial in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, writes Bloomberg.

Several European drone startups, including Helsing and Quantum Systems, have recently closed significant funding rounds.

In June, Destinus held talks with investors about funding at a valuation of €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion).

The firm’s founder and CEO, Mikhail Kokorich, stated that Daedalean would help the company’s weapon systems operate without relying on satellite navigation systems. This is a significant advantage given Russia’s advancements in electronic warfare, the agency noted.

Kokorich emphasized that the firms had already collaborated previously. Now their technologies will be used for both military and civilian purposes.

“It became obvious to all participants that a formal merger is the logical next step,” he said.

In July, the Pentagon signed a contract worth $50 million with the Swiss company Auterion to supply Ukraine with 33,000 AI-equipped “strike kits” for drones.