New technologies like autonomy and artificial intelligence will make operations in the Arctic more achievable in the future, defense officials said Monday. The Pentagon unveiled a new Arctic strategy aimed at countering the influence of Sino-Russian collaboration and overcoming the effects of climate change. The Defense Department released its first Arctic strategy back in 2013, but the newly released Arctic strategy is the first to emphasize the growing collaboration between Russia and China in the region.
The strategy highlights the activities of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels alongside the Russian Navy in the Arctic region. The Defense Department views the Arctic as a laboratory for new unmanned concepts, with emerging technologies like robotic automation and artificial intelligence making it easier to continuously monitor activity in the region.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks emphasized the importance of research and development in utilizing uncrewed systems effectively in the Arctic. The potential use cases for AI and autonomy in the region are vast, including domain awareness missions. The Defense Department is already leveraging artificial intelligence applied to satellite and weather data to operate better in the Arctic.
There is still important research to be done on building out a better physical presence in the Arctic using robotic and unmanned systems. While remote platforms can make sense in the challenging Arctic environment, operation can be tricky due to weather and connectivity issues. The focus is on testing and developing platforms that can effectively operate in the Arctic region.
