The Russian S-350 missile system uses artificial intelligence to target Ukrainian aircraft

The Russian S-350 Vityaz surface-to-air missile system (SAM) shoots down Ukrainian warplanes and drones in fully automatic mode, without operator involvement.

An “informed” source told Sputnik last week that the S-350 “has fully automated detection, tracking and destruction of Ukrainian air targets in combat” for the first time.

According to the insiders, “the automatic mode was implemented on the basis of the principle that a person does not cancel the decisions of the artificial intelligence elements of the air defense system within the framework of the emerging air combat situation, that is, the operator did not interfere with the operation of the system, thus confirming the operating algorithm chosen by the device.”

The sources indicated that Vityaz worked simultaneously in active and passive radar modes, which enhances the system’s immunity against jamming, as well as its ability to detect and classify targets.

The S-350 has a range of up to 120 km (about 75 miles) and can engage up to 16 targets at an altitude of 30 km (about 18.5 miles).