A new US and UK collaboration has integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to support combat forces.

For the first time, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) worked with the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to develop, select, train, and deploy state-of-the-art ML algorithms to support armies.

The research provides wide-area situational awareness tech, and aims to improve decision-making, increase operational tempo, reduce risk to life, and reduce burden on manpower.

The four-year partnership agreement includes objectives to accelerate joint UK/US development and sharing of AI tech and capabilities.

Dstl said it also covers “foundational research in test verification and validation,” as well as AI algorithm research and development and combined experiments “advancing the joint all-domain command and control capabilities of both nations”.

Commenting on the new collaboration, Dr Robert W Sadowski, US Army DEVCOM, said: “We are dedicated to getting robotics and autonomous systems capability into the hands of the warfighters.

“Advances in robotics and autonomy will make our formations more capable and mission-ready while providing protection to our warfighters through unprecedented stand-off while enabling enhanced lethality on the battlefield.”

The AAIC Partnership Agreement effort is led by the United States Department of the Air Force (with AFRL as the lead agency for the US Air Force) in partnership with OUSDR&E, the US Navy and Army, and the UK’s Dstl.

A virtual demonstration, hosted jointly at AFRL’s Information Directorate in Rome, New York, and at Dstl’s site near Salisbury on the 18th of October, highlighted the integrated AI technologies, and showcased the ability to share data and algorithms through a common development and deployment platform.

Dr Lee M Seversky, AFRL lead for the demonstration and the US Project Agreement, said: “The October 18 event demonstrated how the UK and US can integrate AI technology to create the first end-to-end machine learning research, development, and deployment ecosystem, enabling rapid data sharing, algorithm development, evaluation, and deployment.

“AI will play a critical role in accelerating decision making to meet the pace and scale of the future battlespace.”

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The focus of the simulated scenario was how the two nations can “cooperate and share AI capabilities” to support the ‘close’ fight, the Dstl said.

The tech can allow for data sharing, AI algorithms and capability tightly during mission execution where both countries operate in adjacent areas.

Demonstrations brought together key technologies from both nations. The UK’s Model Cards can present to a commander the ability to quickly understand, explore, and select appropriate ML models to deploy in missions.

The US StreamlinedML is a government-owned, extensible open platform to quickly build ML workflows, train and evaluate ML models, and deploy them regardless of the source or ML software stack use – taking advantage of the “best of breed ML technology spanning commercial, academia and government”.

The Dstl said the demonstration is the first of a series of joint technical and operation experiments planned under the four-year partnership agreement.

Todd Robinson, who heads up the Dstl’s UK element to the project, added: “This collaboration with AFRL and the US services is crucial to drive the very latest AI technology into military operations and innovative research in both nations.

“The demonstration is just the first step toward our ambition of deploying novel AI that can learn in the field into an experimental trial environment, something that hasn’t been done before and is only possible due to this collaboration.”

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