Auterion has finalized development of its Artemis long-range strike drone, a flagship product under the US Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) drive to field affordable, modular unmanned systems. Designed for deep-strike and precision missions, Artemis bears a visual resemblance to Iranian-made Shahed loitering munitions deployed by Russia in Ukraine. The platform delivers a 1,000-mile (1,609 km) operational range and carries a 40-kilogram (88-pound) warhead, placing it among the most capable Western-built loitering drones in its class. The drone integrates Auterion’s Skynode N mission computer, a Visual Navigation System for operation in GPS-denied environments, and a terminal visual-guidance module for precision impact on moving or fixed targets. Its open-architecture software allows seamless integration with existing command networks and supports future payload or autonomy upgrades. Development and trials were conducted in Ukraine with a local hardware partner kept undisclosed for security reasons. US evaluators tested Artemis through multiple flight phases — ground launch, GPS-enabled and denied navigation, long-range transits, and terminal engagements — confirming its operational reliability. Findings have since been fed into the DIU’s adaptive acquisition pipeline, with production lines now being established in the US, Ukraine, and Germany. The program strengthens NATO-aligned unmanned strike capability while offering a low-cost, high-endurance system for contested theaters.
