The Role of AI in the Future Combat Air System: A Crucial Development for 21st Century Defense
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer confined to the realm of science fiction or limited to mundane tasks like voice-activated home systems. It’s a tangible, robust technology that is fundamentally reshaping sectors from healthcare to automotive. Inevitably, AI’s potential impact on military defense can’t be ignored, especially as we advance further into the 21st century. A glaring example of this is the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a project that aims to reimagine not just the technology but also the strategy behind aerial warfare.
The AI Backbone: The Nervous System of FCAS
The FCAS is a joint project between France, Germany and Spain to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet and a network of accompanying drones and satellites. The FCAS is developed through the collaborative efforts of the HIS consortium, which includes Helsing, Schönhofer Sales and Engineering GmbH (SSE) and IBM Deutschland GmbH, as well as other European companies such as Airbus, Dassault Aviation, Indra and Thales. The HIS consortium plans to incorporate AI into its very spine, providing a powerful and scalable IT infrastructure that is also secure and flexible. With its base on the secure cloud infrastructure called the VS-Cloud, the AI backbone promises to enable secure, reliable, and speedy data-sharing among various components of the defense system. This isn’t just a handful of drones talking to a fighter jet. It’s an integrated network of Next Generation Fighters, unmanned Remote Carriers, and a data hub, all colloquially called the Combat Cloud, functioning like a well-oiled machine. The Combat Cloud is a decentralized, cyber-resilient, collaborative information network across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains using cloud-based technologies. It connects nodes for all forces across all domains, enabling real-time intelligence and exchanges. The Combat Cloud increases effectiveness by providing the right information, at the right asset, at the right time. The Combat Cloud means cross-domain integration of heterogeneous platforms, including existing legacy platforms in its evolutionary path.
Situational Awareness: The New Standard
One of the most critical aspects of modern warfare is situational awareness. For a pilot in a high-stakes environment, knowing where the enemy is just half the battle. They need to know what assets are available, from unmanned drones to other manned aircraft, and how they can best be utilized in real-time. The primary role of the AI backbone will be to sift through mountains of data from varied sources and sensors to provide decision support and situational awareness to pilots and operators. It’s like having an extremely well-informed co-pilot, but one that can process information from multiple sources in the blink of an eye. The system will consist of a core weapon system as well as other air assets, such as remote carriers, that will act as sensors, effectors and decision nodes working together within a data cloud. The system will be an incremental journey to achieve full collaborative combat by 2040, eventually replacing today’s military systems — including existing combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter and the Rafale. The system will enable seamless collaborative combat across domains by leveraging the connected capabilities of pooled platforms.
Interoperability: A Nod to NATO and the EU
Another significant angle to the FCAS is its focus on European autonomy, without alienating its NATO allies. This isn’t just a Euro-centric system; it’s designed to be seamlessly interoperable with NATO and European Union defense assets. It’s a nod to the complex geopolitical landscape, where national and regional alliances must often coexist and cooperate. The AI backbone ensures that this is not just feasible but efficient, helping to meet evolving threats that often don’t respect international borders.
Meeting the Evolving Threat Landscape
Let’s not be naïve: The threats of the 21st century are unlike anything we’ve seen before. Cyber warfare, drones, and a host of other non-traditional threats demand a defense system that can adapt, learn, and respond. That’s where the AI backbone really shines. By using solutions from RedHat and Secunet Security Networks AG, the FCAS will be built on an open and scalable, service-oriented architecture. It allows the system not just to meet the current set of challenges but to adapt to new ones. The FCAS will benefit from secure and sovereign open source cloud solutions that ensure the protection of applications, data and information. SecuStack, for example, is a cloud solution that integrates cryptographic mechanisms to guarantee trust and sovereignty in the cloud. RedHat, on the other hand, provides open hybrid cloud solutions that enable flexibility and innovation in the development and deployment of applications. These solutions will enable the FCAS to have a robust and reliable cloud infrastructure that can support its complex and dynamic operations.
In Conclusion: A Future-Ready Approach
Critics might argue that incorporating AI into defense systems is fraught with ethical dilemmas, and they’re not entirely wrong. There are valid concerns about the potential for AI errors and the crucial human element in the decision-making process. However, the AI in FCAS is designed to assist, not replace, human decision-making, providing an unparalleled level of situational awareness and strategic insight that simply cannot be achieved otherwise.
In summary, the FCAS is not merely an upgrade to existing combat systems; it’s a revolution. By embedding a sophisticated AI backbone, it promises to transform not just the technology but also the doctrine and strategy that underpin modern aerial warfare. As we face an increasingly unpredictable global landscape, innovations like these are not just desirable; they are essential. And for Europe, this could very well be the linchpin in establishing a self-reliant and agile defense mechanism, making the continent a significant player in the geopolitics of defense.
