The U.S. Navy in the next few years will begin introducing a new type of drone, or drones. Known as LOCUST, these autonomous aerial vehicles will swarm a target in both defensive and offensive situations.

The Office of Naval Research, which develops and tests some of the Navy’s most innovative projects, announced last week the successful testing of the Low-Cost UAV Swarming Technology (LOCUST) program. The system launches multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) designed to swarm a target and give sailors and Marines a tactical advantage, according to an ONR press release.

LOCUST ejects multiple drones in quick succession from a tube-based launcher. These autonomously fly in formation, using information-sharing technology to attack a target or collect information through autonomous behavior. Unlike current drones, the autonomous swarm drones cost less to purchase and operate. LOCUST can be operated from ships, land, trucks, aircraft, and other UAVs.

“The recent demonstrations are an important step on the way to the 2016 ship-based demonstration of 30 rapidly launched autonomous, swarming UAVs,” said ONR program manager Lee Mastroianni.

Last month's demonstrations include testing the UAVs’ payload carrying abilities as well as autonomous synchronization and formation flying, which nine drones achieved. However, there will always be a human operator overseeing the mission, in case he or she needs to interfere and take over.

“This level of autonomous swarming flight has never been done before,” said Mastroianni. “UAVs that are expendable and reconfigurable will free manned aircraft and traditional weapon systems to do more, and essentially multiply combat power at decreased risk to the warfighter.”

At the recent Sea Air Space 2015 Conference, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus talked about prioritizing drone technology. However, the emphasis seems to have started shifting towards swarm drones.

Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea, head of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, explained the sailing branch and the Marines are opting for swarm drone technology, according to Breaking Defense. He adds new modes of communication are needed, for the project to work.

“I don’t think we can be dependent on the RF (radio frequency) spectrum. ... We’re seeing more and more every day that that’s vulnerable,” he explained, because RF can be jammed or hacked.

Future swarm drones need to use direct communications to prevent a disruption in communications. The drones need to communicate not only with other swarm drones but human operators, other tactical drones, friendly manned systems and identify the enemy. They also need to work similarly to mimic each other in certain situations.

“That’s kind of like how termites work,” Killea said. “Without communicating they sense the environment change around them, and they instinctively know which way to go.”

Watch a video showing LOCUST’s tests: