8 July 2026
The Ukrainian company Trident has developed and is scaling up production of a universal autonomous targeting system for drones.
Trident CEO Yuriy Humenchuk discussed the development with Militarnyi at the Defence Builder Accelerator.
Engineers have developed a solution that enables multirotor and fixed-wing drones to automatically recognize targets and engage them autonomously.
The Trident team is focusing on modularity and versatility. Operators can install or remove the targeting module as needed for the mission and freely replace cameras.
The software processes both thermal and daylight imagery with equal effectiveness. Developers aim to maximize adaptability so that the base module can operate with almost any optical system. This approach allows the military to use a single drone platform with multiple targeting modules, rather than separate drones for different mission types.
The hardware component of the system is available in two versions. For powerful kamikaze drones and interceptor drones, engineers use Raspberry Pi 5 boards. The company also offers a $100 budget version of the system based on the Raspberry Pi Zero microcomputer.
The system eliminates the need for operators to spend time on manual configuration.
“We made the system as convenient as possible for the operator. Accordingly, in our system, the operator does not need to configure anything before using the drone. We do not need to set the drone weight, the warhead, or the battery,” Humenchuk said.
Integration of the basic system into a new drone model takes from several hours to several days. After that, units can install the modules at scale without additional configuration.
Trident-developed autonomous targeting module installed on a drone. Still from Militarnyi video
Over the past year, the Defense Forces of Ukraine have actively tested these systems on the battlefield. The company has provided test samples to several units, which have conducted about 100 successful combat missions.
“We are now completing the codification process. We are at the final stages. We successfully completed all previous stages, and now we are trying to complete everything quickly enough,” Humenchuk added.
The developers are currently working closely with the General Staff to finalize the codification process and provide the military with a scalable, reliable tool for autonomous target engagement as quickly as possible.
Militarnyi previously reported that Fourth Law and Ukrainian Armored Engineering had codified the UB60D FPV drone equipped with the TFL-1 terminal guidance module.