20th Armoured Infantry Brigade used an AI engine to get access to information on the environment and terrain
British soldiers use AI during Exercise Spring Storm under Operation Cabrit in Estonia. (Credit: Crown copyright)
The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) said that the British Army has employed artificial intelligence (AI) for the first time during a military exercise in Estonia.
According to the ministry, soldiers from the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade with the help of an AI engine had gained access to information on the surrounding environment as well as terrain.
The soldiers were taking part in Exercise Spring Storm under Operation Cabrit in Estonia.
The Ministry of Defence said that the AI engine could quickly cut through masses of complex data by developing significant automation and smart analytics. With efficient information about the environment and terrain, the army can plan its suitable activity and outputs, said the ministry.
Major James Mcevoy of the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade said: “This was a fantastic opportunity to use a new and innovative piece of technology in a deployed environment. The kit was shown to outperform our expectations and has clear applications for improving our level of analysis and speed at which we conduct our planning.”
The AI capability can be hosted in the cloud or operate in standalone mode. It is said to have substantially saved time as well as effort to give instant planning support to soldiers, while boosting command and control processes.
British Army Director of Information Major General John Cole said: “The deployment was a first of its kind for the Army. It built on close collaboration between the MOD and industry partners that developed AI specifically designed for the way the Army is trained to operate.
“The lessons this has provided are considerable, not just in terms of our support to deployed forces, but more broadly in how we inform Defence’s digital transformation agenda and the best practices we must adopt to integrate and exploit leading-edge technologies.”
The UK defence forces had secured an increase in funding of more than £24bn through the next four years, which will be used for improving the ability to adapt to address future threats.
As outlined in the Defence Command Paper, the Ministry of Defence is planning to inject £6.6bn over the next four years in defence research and development activities. The investment will focus on emerging technologies in AI-enabled autonomous systems, AI, cyber, space, as well as directed energy systems.