Nvidia AI chip found in new Russian cruise missile

Ukrainian intelligence has discovered an AI chip from Nvidia in a Russian cruise missile. The commercial module controls the final target acquisition of the weapon completely autonomously. The find proves the gaps in the sanctions.

AI in Russian cruise missiles

Ukrainian military intelligence HUR has identified an advanced Nvidia chip in a downed Russian S-71M Monokhrom cruise missile. According to analyses, the module called Jetson Orin NX controls the final target acquisition of the weapon. The incident in the ongoing conflict demonstrates that commercial computer vision hardware is increasingly being used for military purposes. The Jetson Orin is a compact onboard computer designed for the development of robotics and autonomous systems.

In the missile, which is fired from Su-57 stealth aircraft, the component processes visual data from a camera. The system allows the missile to search for targets autonomously in the final phase of flight and steer towards them without direct control by a pilot. As the Kyiv Post reports, Ukrainian specialists systematically document such finds. In addition to the hardware module from Nvidia, other foreign components such as passive radar seekers in unmanned aircraft, camera systems made in Asia and electronic elements for aeroballistic missiles have been identified in recent months.

Sanctions are in vain

The use of autonomous target detection offers attackers the advantage that they can act independently of external control signals. Electronic countermeasures such as jammers that block conventional GPS signals largely lose their protective effect. The component undoubtedly did not officially reach the country, as Nvidia officially withdrew from the Russian market in 2022. Since the module that has now been found was only published in 2023, it must have reached its destination via unregulated channels or third countries. The manufacturer also regularly emphasizes in statements that such chips are common components for students and developers. These are not designed for military purposes.

However, complete control over global resale by third parties is extremely costly for companies. Last year, the exact same hardware family appeared in a drone that cost an estimated $20,000 (around 17,288 euros) to produce. The technology is now being used in significantly more complex and expensive weapon systems. According to the Ukrainian authorities, on the one hand, this shows the Russian defense industry’s strong dependence on foreign high technology. On the other hand, the find shows that existing international export controls urgently need to be adjusted in order to prevent smuggling via letterbox companies and middlemen more effectively in the future.