AI: On Land, Sea, and Air. RTZ #348

...drones grow up

The US Military is going through its own transition from AI Fear to the Fear of Missing Out this AI Tech Wave. As I noted a few days ago in “Shall we Play a Game?”:

“Since the unleashing of Generative AI by OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022 in this AI Tech Wave, the worries over AI’s existential risks have of course skyrocketed exponentially. And I noted a few days ago, some of those Fears have receded from 2023 to 2024 thus far, driven by the new Fears of Missing Out (FOMO), by commercial and sovereign interests worldwide.”

“But as Axios reports today, some parts of the US Military maybe pumping “the brakes on generative AI”.”

At the same time, parts of the military are embracing AI despite the caution in some military quarters. As AP reports in “An AI-controlled fighter jet took the Air Force leader for a historic ride. What that means for war”:

“With the midday sun blazing, an experimental orange and white F-16 fighter jet launched with a familiar roar that is a hallmark of U.S. airpower. But the aerial combat that followed was unlike any other: This F-16 was controlled by artificial intelligence, not a human pilot. And riding in the front seat was Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.”

“AI marks one of the biggest advances in military aviation since the introduction of stealth in the early 1990s, and the Air Force has aggressively leaned in. Even though the technology is not fully developed, the service is planning for an AI-enabled fleet of more than 1,000 unmanned warplanes, the first of them operating by 2028.”

As the US Air Force continues to report, “F16s arrive to be modified for autonomous teting”.

The Navy too showed off its latest AI driven experiment, the US Manta Submarine:

“The United States Navy has just tested a new self-driving, fish-shaped drone submarine that can hibernate on the sea floor for “very long periods” without having to refuel — and then deliver a wide array of payloads.”

“Dubbed the “Manta Ray” because of its slick design, the autonomous underwater craft was produced by Northrop Grumman as part of a Navy project to develop underwater drones for long-range missions, according to the Telegraph.”

“The all-white, smooth-looking vessel can anchor itself to the sea floor and hibernate in low-power mode, the outlet said.”

As the Telegraph continues:

“Defence analysts have speculated that the US navy wants to develop a drone capable of long missions to scour the seas for Russian and Chinese submarines.”

“The craft is designed with several payload bays of multiple sizes and types to enable a wide variety of naval mission sets,” said Dr Woerner.”

These efforts are of course spurred on by similar deployments by competing nations:
”Race to ‘dominate’ underwater warfare esclating”.

“But the United States is not the only country pressing ahead with development of newer and better underwater drones.”

“The Russian navy in January last year announced plans to acquire 30 of its Poseidon drones – a torpedo-shaped robotic mini-submarine that Russia claims can hit speeds of 100 knots.”

“Russian sources also claim its nuclear propulsion system would give it a range of 6,200 miles, while it is also said to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.”

“Ukraine has also raced ahead with the development of unmanned underwater vehicles, or UUVs, for its fight against Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

“It has also revealed footage of the successful test of an underwater suicide attack drone, called Marichka.”

“Both the Russian and Ukrainian UUV projects differ from the Manta Ray because they are armed.”

“A closer analogue could be Australia’s Ghost Shark, a large underwater drone it hopes will fill the gap until it can get its hands on crewed, nuclear-powered submarines through the Aukus defence pact with Britain and the US.”

“Meanwhile, Britain is also developing a similar vehicle.”

And China, which invented gunpowder and first used it in fireworks, is of course also deploying AI powered military craft on sea, air and elsewhere:

“Researchers in China’s armed forces have prioritised key areas of military technologies, including AI-driven naval warfare and aerospace combat capabilities, expanding on President Xi Jinping calls for “bold innovations” in advanced technology.”

“In a series devoted to Xi’s concept of developing “new quality combat power”, Study Times, a publication under the Central Party School of China’s Communist Party, published articles on Monday by various People’s Liberation Army (PLA) researchers stressing that such technologies had become the strategic high ground in military dominance and were essential to winning on future battlefields.”

The AI race is afoot across most leading nations. Transitions we’ve seen with technology over centuries. Most recently from gun powder, then to the machine gun, tank, tairplane, battleship, aircraft carrier, ICBMs, stealth fighers, and of course recently drones. AI is the next area of military experimentation and deployment, other fears not withstanding. Stay tuned.

(NOTE: The discussions here are for information purposes only, and not meant as investment advice at any time. Thanks for joining us here)