AI technology is critical for our military. For example, in the war in Ukraine, images of the war are available through personal cell phones of Ukrainians, satellite imagery, drone footage, and ground vehicles. There is also information coming in through signals collection, written human reports, ad tech data, and even social media. AI allows an intelligence analyst to quickly analyze and make predictions based on these disparate collection capabilities to help provide a more refined operational picture of what is happening.
Blockchains have defense applications ranging from encrypted communications to providing secure methods to send documents or payments to allied military units or proxies. Understanding and being able to track blockchain transactions is also a critical need of the military, particularly as nefarious actors use crypto for their transactions. Being able to identify these groups, the transactions, and the parties involved is a critical collection need.
Autonomous technology is any technology that can function and execute tasks without being controlled by a human. To achieve that function, particularly when it comes to autonomous vehicles, engineers and programmers equip systems with sensors, AI, and analytic capabilities so that they could make independent decisions based on the data they collect. For example, an autonomous car will have sensors to “see” signs, people, and other vehicles on the road. AI will help the car make decisions such as when to turn, avoiding obstacles, and regulating speed. When it comes to military use cases, there are significant ethical discussions when it comes to lethal autonomous vehicles. The most famous autonomous vehicles today are aerial drones.
Since the war on terror, drone technology has exploded. Thanks to drones, U.S. adversaries now have the ability to launch attacks from the air. In 2019, Houthi Rebels backed by Iran launched drone attacks against a Saudi Arabian oil field. ISIS and Hizbollah have also incorporated drones into their arsenals. The U.S. Military continues to expand their acquisition and research into autonomous vehicles. For example, the military has interest in autonomous vehicles that can explore caves, breach minefields, conduct reconnaissance, or attack the enemy.
IoT is the interconnection via the internet of computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data. For example, integrating your Fitbit with your smart phone. Some of the biggest explosive growth in IoT relates to the health and wellness space as sensors might monitor your sleep, exercise patterns, heart rate, and other biomedical details and integrate into one platform, such as Apple health, to provide a fulsome understanding and analysis of your health. With the development and expansion of 5G, IoT will continue to grow due to the enhanced bandwidth and speed 5G will allow.
As various types of sensors continue to proliferate, the military wants to incorporate the IoT into their everyday activities. As fitness is a requirement for the military, soldiers are already using IoT technology. In fact, there was a concern that surfaced as Fitbit data was able to expose the locations of U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. So understanding and countering the vulnerabilities of this technology is just as important as using it offensively or exploiting enemy vulnerabilities.
This is the process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. Currently, some industries such as car manufacturers and airline manufacturers use 3D printing to create prototypes an mass produce their products using custom scans. One concern about 3D printing is that people have been able to use 3D printers to make their own guns. While currently too slow for mass production, 3D printing has the potential to massively disrupt the manufacturing logistics and inventory management industries.
3D printing has the power to revolutionize the way the military conducts logistics. Imagine a soldier’s weapon getting destroyed and the unit being able to print a new weapon for him. As this technology matures, military units would be able to do their own in house manufacturing.
Virtual Reality is an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli, such as sights and sounds, provided by a computer and in which ones actions determine what happens in the environment. The recent popularity in virtual reality stems from the development of smaller and lighter headsets as opposed to the massive headsets in the 1980s, that make it more affordable and practical. So far, VR has been most popular in the gaming community, but professional use cases are growing. For example, surgeons have used VR to practice surgical procedures and manufacturing companies have used it to train new workers on building new products. Augmented reality superimposes computer generated images on a user’s view of the real world. Imagine being able to hold your smart phone camera inside a room and being able to see what it might look like with different pieces of furniture. AR makes this possible and companies such as Home Depot are offering this so customers can “test” out what different products might look like inside the house before purchasing.
Right now, the most widely used application for VR is in training. U.S. based units can enter the VR world and have it set to a city in Syria and practice a realistic wartime scenario. VR allows you to quickly change environments. One minute a squad is practicing clearing a building in Syria and the next they are practicing taking on Russian tanks in Ukraine. AR has the power to augment visual sensors of pilots and vehicle crews to help them identify friend or foe, assist in navigation, and provide better situational awareness.
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