AI-Powered Dutch System Helps Ukraine Coordinate Battlefield Drones

A Dutch technology company is using artificial intelligence (AI) to help Ukrainian forces connect different drone and air-defence systems on the battlefield as Russia intensifies its drone and missile attacks.

Amsterdam-based Intelic has developed an AI-powered command-and-control platform known as Nexus, which integrates radar, sensors, cameras and drones from different manufacturers into a single system.

The company recently demonstrated the technology at a former Dutch airbase near the North Sea. During the test, radar detected a simulated hostile target, while AI analysed the information and a reconnaissance drone used image recognition to confirm the target.

Although a human operator made the final decision to launch an interceptor drone during the demonstration, Intelic said the system could eventually operate autonomously.

The company's chief executive and founder, Maurits Korthals Altes, said AI can help commanders make rapid decisions when they have only a few seconds to respond to incoming threats.

According to the company, Nexus is already being deployed by Ukrainian forces. It is designed to address a major challenge facing Kyiv: the large number of drone systems supplied by different European manufacturers that often cannot communicate directly with one another.

Senior Intelic software engineer Anika Kempter said Ukraine has hundreds of drone systems from different suppliers, each with separate control interfaces. She explained that Nexus allows them to be connected and managed through a single platform.

The Netherlands has awarded Intelic a €30 million contract to help upgrade the country's air-defence capabilities. The Dutch government has also committed about €1.4 billion to Ukraine's drone programme since 2022.

The Netherlands says it has provided more than €12.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, including almost one million drones.

European military assistance for drones has increased significantly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Kiel Institute said European drone aid rose from about €400 million in 2022 to €1.2 billion in 2025, reaching €1.6 billion during the first four months of 2026 alone.

Ukraine has increasingly relied on advanced drone technology as Russia expands its use of drones, including jet-powered attack drones capable of operating at high altitudes.

Intelic says its software can also allow new weapons and defence systems to be integrated into the platform, helping military forces adapt as battlefield technology evolves.

The company believes the ability to rapidly connect and upgrade different systems could become increasingly important as the nature of warfare continues to change.

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