An open-source software, originally designed for hobbyist drones, powered a recent Ukrainian attack that allegedly destroyed a third of Russia’s strategic long-range bombers, a report has said. The original creators of ArduPilot expressed surprise at the software’s wartime application. As reported by 404Media, Chris Anderson, one of ArduPilot’s founders, commented on LinkedIn below attack footage, “That’s ArduPilot, launched from my basement 18 years ago. Crazy.”On X (formerly Twitter), Chris Anderson tagged co-creators Jordi Muñoz and Jason Short in a post about the attack. Short replied, “Not in a million years would I have predicted this outcome. I just wanted to make flying robots.”
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“Ardupilot powered drones just took out half the Russian strategic bomber fleet,” he added.
What is ArduPilot software and how it works
ArduPilot, an open-source software system, originated in 2007. Anderson launched DIYdrones.com and assembled an early UAV autopilot using Lego Mindstorms. Two years later, Muñoz won an autonomous vehicle competition using a small helicopter with autopilot. Muñoz and Anderson subsequently founded 3DR, an early consumer drone company, and released initial versions of ArduPilot in 2009.Over the next decade, ArduPilot was refined by its creators and a global community of hobbyist and professional drone pilots. As open-source software, it is free to use and can be modified for various purposes. In this instance, it facilitated a complex series of small drone strikes.The software enables connection to a Do it yourself (DIY) drone, displays a GPS-linked map, and can control takeoff, flight, and landing. Pilots can set waypoints for autonomous flight. Even without GPS, which Russia jams using its GLONASS system, ArduPilot provides assistive features. These include drone stabilisation, a “loitering mode” for temporary halts, and failsafe modes to maintain flight if signal is lost.The ArduPilot project website describes the software as “a trusted, versatile, and open source autopilot system supporting many vehicle types.” It lists peaceful use cases such as “search and rescue, submersible ROV, 3D mapping, first person view [flying], and autonomous mowers and tractors.” The website does not mention its repurposing for military use. Analytics from 2023 showed the project was popular in both Ukraine and Russia.
