Canada is in the process of developing its armed forces for war in Europe, or the Arctic. There is a real need for the CAF to rapidly develop a new arm of the military, and that entails everything from AI and drone reconnaissance, to loitering munitions that can land if they’re target is not found or unavailable.
In this new element of the electronic battlefield, the CAF needs to become proficient and capable of managing the environment. This includes counter-drone technology, battlefield anti-drone technologies and antiaircraft systems. IFV’s, and tanks, along with forward operating posts will become major targets for enemy drone operations, therefore it only makes sense for the CAF to become serious about obtaining and improving these capabilities.
The new battlefield reality is that ‘swarms’ of drones and ultralight aircraft that operate as ‘suicide’ aircraft will be encountered, with a frequency that makes detection, counter-drone technologies and small unit anti-aircraft systems availability a serious consideration and requirement for today’s ground forces.
But this does not simply apply to the land element of warfare. Sea drones and drone submarine assets are now in operation that put major naval assets at increased risk. These systems cost a fraction of the expenditure of building larger ships, yet have all the capacity and capability to destroy same.
An Integral Part of Force Projection and Protection
The war in Ukraine clearly illustrates how drones and what will become intelligent autonomous drones, have impacted warfare.
Drones are economical, yet highly effective, whether on the land or at sea. And it is only a matter of time before pilots themselves on combat aircraft, become obsolete, as AI fighters may will provide a continuous airborne interdiction force without risk to personnel.
ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) is now an integral part of the battlefield.
France, as just an example has become much more heavily invested in utilizing drones as part of its security strategy and is transforming the operational deployment doctrines of armed forces.
Thales is one manufacturer of many involved in this new sphere of battlefield munitions, strategies, command and control.
“As the French forces come to recognize this new reality and embrace drone-based operations, Thales has developed a variety of innovative solutions tailored to their specific requirements. They range from drone systems for ISR missions and the Toutatis (Thales) family of loitering munitions to intelligent drone swarms designed for the age of collaborative combat.”
They are also becoming important for civil security and public safety, keeping a watchful eye over major events and national borders, protecting critical infrastructure and helping to manage wildfire risks.
As an example of how important this is now deemed to be, Thales is developing ‘intelligent and autonomous’ drone swarms.
“With intelligent systems embedded in the drones, a single operator can control large numbers of autonomous platforms to carry out operations in different areas. Relying on robust communications networks, these coordinated swarms of autonomous drones are suitable for a wide variety of missions, including intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting.”
It is one area that Canada’s industrial military complex is well on the way to developing systems that integrate seamlessly with the command and control function of the Canadian Armed Forces.
As AI becomes more prevalent on battlefields, the Canadian Armed Forces need to stay on the forefront of technology in order to minimize losses to equipment and personnel in the 21st Century.
Other nations, like China and Japan are already building autonomous submersible combat drones that can target naval assets with either torpedoes or mines.
Experimentation is already underway that will enable these systems to utilize VLS or vertical launch systems.
The future is unpredictable, but former human assets on land, air and sea may no longer be the most rational response to AI and the future of military force.
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