Tim Reed is the CEO of Lynx Software Technologies, the premier Mission Critical Edge software company.
To maintain a defensive edge over its adversaries, the military is always looking for ways to modernize and innovate. One area that has seen significant progress in recent years is the development and use of uncrewed vehicles on land, sea and air. These crafts operate without humans onboard, making them suitable for traversing hazardous or unpleasant environments for humans and for jobs that meet “the three Ds”—difficult, dull and dangerous.
Uncrewed military vehicles have become essential assets to most militaries in the 21st century and have been used for decades to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance, attack remote targets, perform search and rescue and more. With today’s advanced AI, these vehicles are leveraging machine learning technologies that can be used to detect objects, recognize and track targets and classify or segment images and video footage.
The integration of AI into uncrewed military vehicles could revolutionize modern warfare, providing significant advantages in terms of capabilities and efficiency. As these vehicles become increasingly prevalent on the battlefield, however, ensuring their security becomes a significant concern.
Security Concerns And Locking Down The Value Chain
Like any connected device, uncrewed military vehicles are susceptible to various forms of cyberattacks, such as hacking, jamming and hijacking, and there is some public concern about these risks. If an enemy were to gain control of one of these vehicles, it could have catastrophic consequences, including jeopardizing the mission’s success, endangering troops and potentially allowing the enemy to reverse-engineer the technology.
Back in 2011, for example, a U.S. drone was captured by Iran by exploiting, as reported by The Hacker News, “a weakness in the craft’s navigation system to hijack it. The aircraft was downed through a relatively unsophisticated cyberattack that tricked its global positioning systems (GPS)” into believing it was located in the wrong place and/or time.
Clearly, trust in the source of signal data is critical, but any deployed AI in these hostile environments will need to be able to cross-check signals data to be able to detect erroneous data. After all, how hard would it be to trick a human pilot into flying into Iranian airspace and land there by accident?
To protect these vehicles from such threats, robust security measures must be implemented throughout the entire lifecycle of these systems. This begins with secure design principles such as DevSecOps that incorporate layers of authentication protocols, encryption and secure communications channels. Using these measures, engineers can ensure that the data these devices send and receive remains confidential and the vehicles are not tampered with.
Continuous monitoring and threat intelligence are also critical components of maintaining the security of uncrewed military vehicles. These systems can detect unusual behavior and unauthorized attempts to access the vehicle, alerting its human operators to take immediate action. This requires regular updates and patches to the vehicle’s software and firmware in order to address any newly discovered vulnerabilities and stay one step ahead of potential attackers.
If an uncrewed vehicle is lost in combat, sunk or captured by the enemy, additional precautions must be taken to prevent reverse-engineering and exploitation of the technology. Anti-tamper mechanisms can be used to destroy sensitive data and components, making the vehicle useless to the enemy. These mechanisms could involve cryptographic key destruction, physical destruction of critical components or even remote activation of explosives to destroy the device.
Securing the supply chain is also critical in preventing the introduction of compromised or counterfeit components into uncrewed military vehicles. For example, with “DevSecOps,” which is increasingly being used, “DevSec” means securing the process of importing, creating, integrating and shipping software through the supply chain down to the deployed device.
This is in contrast to the “SecOps,” which refers to securing the ongoing operation and updating of the deployed system in a hostile environment. Working closely with trusted vendors and implementing strict vetting processes can help reduce the risk of compromised hardware or software being introduced into uncrewed military vehicles during manufacturing or maintenance.
The Future Of AI In Uncrewed Military Vehicles
Despite these challenges, the development and use of AI-powered uncrewed military vehicles are advancing rapidly due to the potential benefits of increased capabilities, improved efficiency and reduced risks to human lives. These benefits drive further investment and innovation in this field.
Looking ahead, advancements in AI technology—including deep learning and reinforcement learning—will likely enable even more sophisticated autonomous systems. These systems will possess greater adaptability, learning capabilities and the ability to operate in complex and dynamic environments.
Collaboration between the military and the private sector is essential to foster innovation and accelerate the development of AI-powered uncrewed vehicles. By leveraging the expertise and resources of technology companies, academia and government agencies, we can maximize the potential of this technology and address the challenges that lie ahead.
Integrating AI into uncrewed military vehicles has transformed modern warfare and expanded the capabilities of militaries worldwide. These vehicles provide enhanced situational awareness, logistical support and increased safety for military personnel. However, challenges related to cybersecurity and ethical considerations must be addressed to ensure the responsible and effective use of this technology. With continued investment and collaboration, AI-powered uncrewed military vehicles will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of defense.
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