By Ethan Evans

Copyright walesonline

The British Army is set to incorporate a fleet of AI drones into its arsenal within the next five years, as the UK military begins to adapt to the lessons learned from Ukraine and increase reliance on unmanned vehicles and systems across land, sea, and air. Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed the growing dependence of Britain’s military on artificial intelligence in a written response to Liberal Democrat MP Edward Morello. In his response, Mr Pollard referred to this year’s Strategic Defence Review, which he said advocates for “a shift towards greater use of autonomy and artificial intelligence within the UK’s conventional force”. The review outlined a “common digital foundation of data, artificial intelligence, synthetic environments, and networks” aimed at connecting people and platforms with allies across various domains. Pollard stated that this modern military force would offer “agility, speed of manoeuvre, and effective targeting to outmatch adversaries”, reports the Daily Record . It’s reported that the UK government is learning from Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Kyiv has been utilising AI-enabled drones that have revolutionised their battlefield awareness and strike operations. Over the coming five years, Britain plans to deploy uncrewed platforms in large numbers as part of a “high-low” mix of capabilities that will be combined with fifth and sixth-generation crewed aircraft. These designs provide significant flexibility, allowing them to be tailored to different environments and situations, including undersea, in the air, at night, and more. The integration of AI into the UK’s ground forces through Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGVs) is a significant development, with these autonomous vehicles expected to take on an increasing number of combat support roles in conflicts. According to the UK Defence Journals, 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 instance of the British Army showing interest in integrating artificial intelligence. They previously unveiled a state-of-the-art AI digital targeting technology named ASGAARD. It was put through its paces during recent NATO military exercises, utilising artificial intelligence and advanced communication networks to identify and engage hostile targets over extended distances. It enables decisions that would have taken hours to be made within minutes. Meanwhile, the UK continues to trial a German-developed Kamikaze drone with ‘destructive power’. The HX-2, equipped with a 4kg warhead and a strike range of up to 100km, features a contemporary design and AI capabilities believed to outstrip Russia’s weapon of choice – the Lancet drone. Units have already been dispatched to Ukraine for early operational use and qualification tests, as reported by the Express. Drones have emerged as vital weapons of destruction during conflict and have been extensively deployed during the Russia-Ukraine war.