By Ethan Evans
Copyright dailyrecord
A swarm of AI drones will be among the British Army’s arsenal in the next five years as the UK military starts to learn the lessons of Ukraine and rely more on unmanned vehicles and systems – on land, sea and air.. Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed Britain’s military’s growing reliance on artificial intelligence in a written response to Liberal Democrat Edward Morello MP. Mr Pollard referenced this year’s Strategic Defence Review, which he said recommends “a shift towards greater use of autonomy and artificial intelligence within the UK’s conventional force”. It set out a “common digital foundation of data, artificial intelligence, synthetic environments, and networks” designed to connect people and platforms with allies across domains. Pollard says this new-age military force will provide “agility, speed of manoeuvre, and effective targeting to outmatch adversaries”. The UK government is said to be taking lessons from Ukraine during their ongoing war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Kyiv are using AI-enabled drones that have transformed their battlefield awareness and strike operations. Over the next five years, Britain intends to field uncrewed platforms in large numbers as part of a “high-low” mix of capabilities that are mixed with fifth and sixth-generation crewed aircraft. Their design offering great flexibility with the ability to tailor them to different environments and situations, namely undersea, in the air, at night and more. AI’s pending integration into the UK’s ground force through UGVs is huge, with the uncrewed vehicles predicted to take on an increasing number of combat support roles in conflicts. The UK Defence Journals says they could “relieve pressure on personnel, operate in hazardous environments, and integrate with other platforms to provide data and effects”. This isn’t the first time the British Army has showed signs of integrating artificial intelligence. They previously revealed cutting-edge AI digital targeting technology called ASGAARD. It underwent trials during recent NATO military exercises, employing artificial intelligence and sophisticated communication networks to identify and engage hostile targets across extended distances. It allows choices that previously required hours to be executed within minutes. While the UK continues to test a German-developed Kamikaze drone with ‘destructive power’. The HX-2, which has a 4kg warhead and a strike range of up to 100km, boasts a modern design and AI capabilities believed to surpass Russia’s weapon of choice – the Lancet drone. Units have already been delivered to Ukraine for early operational use and qualification tests, reports the Express . Drones have become crucial weapons of destruction during conflict and have been extensively used during the Russia-Ukraine war .
