AI-Driven Air Defense System Takes Aim At Drones
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has swiftly become a crucial enabler in modern warfare. AI defence companies have been playing an increasingly pivotal role within the air defence capabilities of modern militaries.
In particular, the technology can enhance human capabilities, improving surveillance capability and combat-effectiveness. In the air, deployment of AI enables faster and more efficient combat performance using fewer resources.
Now, US based defence company Northrop Grumman has introduced a new AI feature which will assist combatants to make real-time decisions when defending against drone swarms.
The Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) Advanced Battle Manager (ABM) is designed to address the increasing complexity of counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) operations, harnessing the power of AI. This innovation allows defenders to neutralise drone threats simply by tapping a mobile tablet, simplifying the decision-making process and improving flexibility for US and allied forces.
The Advanced Battle Manager (ABM) builds upon the existing FAAD Command and Control (FAAD-C2) system, already widely used by the US military and allies like the Baltic States. FAAD-C2 integrates short-range air defence, counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar missions, making it critical for multi-domain operations. FAAD is a cyber-certified, real-time safety critical command and control software, providing a single integrated air picture, airspace coordination and deconfliction and fire control to support multi-domain missions.
The ABM enhances this capability by rapidly analysing threat data from multiple sensors, recommending the most effective counter-measures while avoiding friendly fire incidents.
With an open architecture design, the ABM allows for seamless integration of various vendors’ weapons and sensors, facilitating interoperability across platforms. This flexibility is crucial as the military faces increasingly sophisticated threats. The system can generate engagement plans very quickly, in under a quarter of a second, and it provides real-time ‘weapon-target pairings’, using years of live fire data.
Northrop’s Vice President, Kenneth Todorov, emphasised the importance of simplifying operations during high-stress engagements. “This critical AI enhancement will create a streamlined and intuitive engagement plan, giving service members more time to save lives with a single click,” he said.
As drone warfare evolves, AI-driven solutions are likely to significantly improve the effectiveness of air defence operations, not least by reducing the workload for engineers and maintenance personnel who perform routine checks of aircraft by enabling them to visualise damages in 3D with a high level of accuracy.
Northrop Grumman | I-HLS | Thales | Shephard Land Warfare | Indian Defence Review |
Image: Ideogram
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