Cutting-edge technology integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a “contested environment” has passed tests conducted by the US, UK and Australian military alliance known as AUKUS, officials said on Friday.
According to the trilateral defense agencies, the cutting-edge sensing technology was tested to determine whether the drones “can perform missions and remain connected” in a multi-domain battlespace that includes land, sea, air and cyberspace.
Under pillar two of the AUKUS agreement, the three countries will work to “harmonize” AI technologies for defense and security applications, primarily in the face of growing Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
President Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Chancellor Rishi Sunak spoke about the Australia, UK and US partnership after meeting at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego on March 13, 2023. (Reuters/Leah Millis)
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The integrated AI and UAV technology aims to “minimize the time it takes to sense enemy targets, determine how to respond, and respond to threats,” according to a Department of Defense (DOD) announcement on Friday.
“As they mature and are integrated into the nation’s platforms, these new sensing systems will produce more reliable data that commanders can use to make optimal decisions and enable service members to act faster against kinetic threats, while also enabling seamless joint and joint operations involving multiple services and nations,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
One example of a system tested in the Resilient and Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Technology (RAAIT) trial is the use of a map-based application called the Tactical Attack Kit (TAK).
The software helped British drones detect the locations of hostile forces by using “on-the-fly adjustments” based on data collected in conjunction with another drone which provided detailed imagery.
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The adjusted information was sent to an “AI Officer” in the Tactical Operations Centre (TOC), who provided human oversight before Australian XT-8 UAVs were deployed in the attack.
“Previously, each country developed separate models using their own datasets and deployed those models on their own platforms. Under RAAIT, we have matured our AI pipeline and focused on compatibility and interoperability so that any combination of datasets, models, algorithms, and platforms can be used across the three countries,” said Kimberly Sablon, principal director for Trustworthy AI and Autonomy (AIA) in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Technology.
The AUKUS alliance handed control of a swarm of drones over to an AI program to test its observation capabilities. (Materials provided by the UK Ministry of Defence)
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The “lessons learned” from the joint tests will be used to build an “AIA ecosystem” that can be utilized in operations by all three countries.
“Our goal is to achieve a pipeline that is interchangeable and interoperable, yet robust,” Sablon said. “Being able to collect data, train AI systems, conduct testing and evaluation, and adapt to unforeseen threats in under 10 hours at the edge is a major milestone for our partnership.”
