US special operations forces are shopping for a new class of attack drone that can identify targets on its own, according to DefenseScoop.
The outlet reports that SOCOM's Program Executive Office-Fixed Wing is conducting market research into loitering munition technology fitted with automatic target recognition capabilities. Loitering munitions — sometimes called "kamikaze drones" — are aircraft that can circle over an area before striking a target.
DefenseScoop describes the sought-after systems as "SOF-peculiar," a military term meaning they would be tailored to the specialized needs of special operations forces rather than adapted from general-purpose equipment. The effort is being led by the office responsible for the Air Force's special operations aviation programs, whose personnel are often known as air commandos.
Market research is an early step in the military acquisition process. It signals that the command is surveying what industry can currently offer before deciding whether or how to move forward with a formal program. At this stage, no contract, budget, or timeline has been announced in the source material.
The defining feature in the request is automatic target recognition — the ability of a drone's onboard software to detect and classify what it is looking at without a human manually identifying each object. Pairing that capability with a strike-capable loitering munition is what makes the request notable.
Why it matters: A US military push toward drones that can recognize targets themselves marks another step in the broader debate over how much autonomy armed systems should have on the battlefield.