New AI-based system enables forces to see hidden targets
Technology
It can take data from drones as well as fired weapons and beam it back to find the targets
(Web Desk) - European defense supplier MBDA unveiled the ‘Ground Warden’, an artificial intelligence (AI)- powered decision-making aid that uses beyond-line-of-sight technology to find hidden targets.
The Ground Warden works with MBDA’s other assets and is designed to help military units strengthen their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
A joint venture between three European companies in the aerospace and defense sector, MBDA supplies missiles and systems for all three branches of the military.
Some of MBDA’s popular effector assets include the Akeron MP, a man-portable guided anti-tank guided missile system, and the Land & Naval Combat Missile System with Beyond Line of Sight capability (BLOS), both currently in their fifth generation.
At the ongoing Eurosatory in Paris, MBDA unveiled the Ground Warden system, which works in tandem with these effectors but leverages AI to empower military units.
How does Ground Warden work?
In a scenario played out to reporters attending the event, one can see a drone operating in an area populated by trees. Such an environment is ideal for tanks to hide and make their attacks. Even man-portable systems can find it difficult to counter such an attack.
MBDA suggests pairing up the missile system with its Ground Warden system, which can analyze data from the drone in real-time and suggest attack options to the user about the location of the target and when it can be intercepted.
In another scenario that the MBDA showcased, a missile fired toward a target captured images on its flight path and beamed them back to the ground module, where they were analyzed to identify other threats in the area, Defense News reported.
This shows that even a fired weapon can be purposed as a sensor and used to improve the effectiveness of the units.
MBDA offers a similar platform for aerial units, dubbed Sky Warden, and the new offering is also aimed at improving the ‘reactivity’ of the armed forces.
With modern warfare changing at a rapid pace, MBDA has ensured that its systems too upgrade on a continuous basis. At the outset, the company is using AI to empower the system as a whole and provide a more detailed analysis of the data gleaned.
To match customer demands, the company promises software updates that will prepare the system for the fast-changing face of warfare. The system is also designed to incorporate user requirements and feedback while also capturing enhancement requests.
