30 December 2025

Auterion has announced a significant step towards autonomous mass in modern warfare today: the successful live demonstration of a hybrid drone swarm composed of FPV and fixed-wing drones from different manufacturers executing a unified, end-to-end kill chain. The demonstration for government customers in Munich, Germany, marks the first time such a mixed formation has operated as a single, coordinated combat entity. This achievement represents a decisive step toward the unmanned battlefield.

The event brought together eight short-range FPV munitions and two medium-range fixed-wing platforms, linked through Auterion’s swarm engine and guided by human operators. The swarm executed the full find, fix, and finish sequence, including a coordinated, vision guided terminal approach, and synchronized strike effects.

“This is the moment when swarming autonomy stops being a concept and becomes an operational reality,” said Lorenz Meier, CEO and founder of Auterion. “For the first time, FPVs and fixed-wing loitering munitions from different manufacturers flew, hit, and finished together as a unified swarm. This is the architecture that future warfare will be built on.”

Unlike traditional drone operations that rely on manual piloting, the Auterion demonstration showed a coherent swarm acting on shared logic across varied airframes. FPV drones conducted rapid, low-altitude engagements while fixed-wing systems executed ISR and longer range strikes. Each drone understood the mission, the target set, and the timing of effects.

According to Meier, this shift is essential. “The modern kill chain is simply too fast for manual coordination. Software has to do the heavy lifting, while humans make the decisions. This is how you maintain control without slowing down the fight.”

The demonstration also marked the first time unmanned systems from three different manufacturers have operated as a single combat swarm. Auterion’s operating system enabled full interoperability, eliminating the typical maze of bespoke integrations. Auterion unified diverse systems under one architecture, demonstrating how allies can rapidly scale and integrate industry without vendor lock-in.

“Interoperability is not a slogan anymore. It’s a battlefield requirement,” Meier said. “We need to overpower our near-peer adversaries with mass.”

Seamless Integration Into Battlefield Tools

The hybrid swarm operated under Auterion’s Nemyx engine, which provided autonomous real-time coordination. Live feeds and mission data are integrated into ATAK and are available as standardized cursor on target (COT) feed for other battle management systems, giving operators full situational awareness and positive control. This level of integration reflects how kill chains are evolving: they are becoming software-defined and network-native.

Auterion’s hybrid swarm demonstration embodies a fundamental shift in warfare. Rather than treating drones as isolated tools, modern forces are moving toward swarms that operate as distributed, intelligent formations. The implications for deterrence, attrition, and survivability are profound.

“We’re watching the battlefield evolve from manned platforms with unmanned support, to unmanned formations with humans in command,” said Meier. “Today’s demonstration shows what comes next: mass autonomy that scales across nations and manufacturers. The future fight will be defined by swarms, not individual drones.”

About Auterion

Auterion is an international defense software company and leading provider of AI‑powered drone solutions. Its open, modular autonomy stack powers air, land and sea platforms for governments and enterprises worldwide. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with a European hub in Munich, Germany, Auterion is committed to enabling resilient, autonomous defense capabilities across the transatlantic partnership.

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