Game-changing AI will 'fix the fight' to give military the advantage in any battle
Artificial Intelligence is seen as a game-changer in the boxing ring of defence.
It is a way to 'fix the fight' by giving the opponent armed with AI an unfair advantage.
That is why it is being seen as a central pillar of future UK defence.
It promises to give the Armed Forces the edge in any fight with ultra-fast processing of battlefield intelligence in real time.
There may be some way to go, but the transformation is already underway.
The quest for advanced, multi-domain, integrated force protection technology is part of Talos, a Ministry of Defence programme focused on accelerating a defence-wide approach to integrated command and control.
At its centre is cutting-edge AI software systems like the Lattice Mesh from US defence technology company Anduril Industries.
Since first trialling its capability at Cranfield Ordnance Test and Evaluation Centre in Wiltshire in October 2023, for what was then UK Strategic Command, now Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC), it has significantly grown.
It is described as a "decentralised mesh networking capability that securely distributes data across services, domains, platforms, and long distances, providing access to critical information in remote, degraded, and low-bandwidth environments at the tactical edge".
It also serves as "the core networking capability, supporting Command and Control and Mission Autonomy, capable of connecting thousands of Anduril and third-party systems across the world in support of real-world operations."
It is already behind other remarkable ground-breaking systems that promise to transform the British Army.
"Drones, artificial intelligence, and autonomy, are no longer emerging technologies. They are in the fight today," General Sir Jim Hockenhull, CSOC's Commander said.
"We are harnessing artificial intelligence and machine learning to accelerate decision-making and deliver digital precision."
Project Asgard is an initiative the Ministry of Defence has commissioned to "set the conditions for the unfair fight".
It allows the British Army to transmit frontline data to headquarters in seconds, speeding up the kill-chain, allowing decision makers to respond to emerging threats in real-time "through a resilient, survivable kill web".
The Asgard digital system will help soldiers find and attack enemy targets from much greater distances.
British soldiers have already tested it in Estonia, and the MOD said it will make the Army "10 times more lethal over the next 10 years" by combining weapon systems, surveillance equipment, automated technology, digital connections and data analysis.
Palantir, a US software company, is behind the AI used in almost all of Ukraine's artillery targeting systems.
The Palantir software collates data from a mass of sources – human intelligence, drones, radar, and even thermal imaging that can detect troop movements or artillery fire.
It then uses AI modelling to process that information and give commanders a variety of targeting options.
The software even learns as it goes, becoming more accurate over time.
Palantir is now working with the MOD to develop AI-powered capabilities already tested in Ukraine to speed up decision-making, military planning and targeting, making London a hub for defence technology innovation across Europe.
The MOD is developing what it calls the Digital Targeting Web to connect Armed Forces weapons systems better and allow battlefield decisions for targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster.
"The Digital Targeting Web (DTW) is not a single platform or product. It is not a software suite from one supplier," Gen Sir Jim said.
"It is an ecosystem, an orchestration of infrastructure, products, and services.
"It brings together defence's currently fragmented targeting and command-and-control systems, data, platforms, and networks – enabling the integration of emerging and novel technologies.
"This is not just a technical challenge – it is a challenge of orchestration."
And that is the key: driving the AI transformation in harmony and fast enough to get it battlespace ready for tomorrow's conflicts to ensure it is the UK's adversaries that are left facing the music of defeat.
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