How AI adversary training can enhance military readiness

Summary

In the evolving landscape of military training, the integration of Red Team and White Team AI provides a dynamic and realistic training environment. These AI systems simulate adversaries and environmental challenges, pushing military personnel to adapt in real-time and better prepare for the unpredictabilities of combat.

Defence
5 min read

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Military training has historically relied on scripted scenarios and simulated exercises to prepare personnel for combat situations. While these methods provide valuable experience, they often lack the realism and unpredictability of actual battlefield conditions. Current theatres of conflict have shown that near-peer adversaries are becoming more sophisticated and unconventional in their tactics, stressing the need for training to accurately mirror the complexities of modern warfare, beyond conventional Blue Team / Red Team scenarios, a face-off between and offensive and defensive team. With the rapid development and adoption of AI in the military escalating, new opportunities emerge to augment how our troops prepare to face a threat that is primed to push them to the edge of their capabilities.

Red Team

Red Team AI refers to artificial intelligence systems designed to emulate the tactics, techniques, and procedures of hostile actors. These AI-driven adversaries can simulate a wide range of threats, from cyber attacks and asymmetric warfare to conventional military tactics. Imagine a battleship’s crew in a simulated fight against a responsive and unpredictable enemy ship. Or an infantry platoon in a mixed reality simulation deploying against an AI-driven insurgency group. By leveraging advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques, Red Team AI can adapt and evolve in response to changing circumstances, providing a dynamic and challenging training environment for military personnel.

Unlike scripted scenarios, which may follow predetermined outcomes, Red Team AI can react in real-time to the actions of trainees, presenting unpredictable challenges and forcing them to adapt on the fly. This dynamic and immersive training environment better prepares personnel for the uncertainties of actual combat, helping to improve decision-making under pressure and fostering a mindset of agility and resilience.

In addition to enhancing realism, Red Team AI plays a crucial role in identifying vulnerabilities within military systems and procedures. By simulating adversarial tactics and probing defensive measures, Red Team AI can highlight weaknesses in cybersecurity protocols, operational strategies, and command structures. This feedback is invaluable for identifying areas for improvement and implementing proactive measures to mitigate potential risks before they materialise on the battlefield.

Now that Red Team AI is clear, let’s take it one step further.

White Team

Imagine AI acting as a White Team in a Live, Virtual & Constructive (LVC) synthetic training environment, where it serves as an omnipresent “game master”, dynamically altering scenario parameters to reflect the unpredictability of real-life warfare. In these scenarios, participants assume roles within a fictional military unit representing one nation, while the opposing Red Team represents another fictitious nation, each with its own objectives. With access to real-time data and communications from both sides, the White Team AI manipulates the scenario on the fly with sandbox events, such as weather and landscape changes and civilian activity, to simulate realistic challenges and responses. In this way, the White Team AI can significantly enhance training value for both sides. For instance, if the Blue Team consistently emerges victorious, the White Team can intervene by providing strategic information, such as unit locations or intercepted orders, to give the Blue Team an advantage and maintain balance. Consequently, this prompts both teams to continually adapt to changing circumstances, fostering skill development.

Training AI to demonstrate this level of adaptability and creativity poses a significant challenge,to mimic the behaviour of a real near-peer adversary it needs to understand human unpredictability as well as the military doctrine under which they operate. This makes the availability of diverse datasets essential since AI models rely heavily on sufficient information for training and validation. For example, teaching a Red Team AI how to effectively simulate manoeuvres in a wide range of terrains, weather conditions and mission objectives requires sophisticated algorithms and extensive data sets. This would also need rigorous testing against a variety of scenarios so that the AI force can develop metrics and employ innovative tactics to challenge a Blue Team effectively.

Red Team and White Team AI represent a transformative tool, offering a dynamic training environment that enhances military readiness and resilience. By simulating realistic threats, identifying vulnerabilities, and improving adaptive capabilities, Red Team AI empowers armed forces to stay ahead of the curve and effectively respond to the challenges of the modern battlefield. White Team training, on the other hand, can introduce an additional layer of complexity, realism, and unpredictability in military training scenarios.

How to make it a reality

Equipped with high-quality data, AI has the potential to significantly maximise training outcomes, serving as a real force-multiplier for military preparedness and effectiveness. In the realm of military readiness, the integration of advanced technologies like spatial computing, AI interfaces, and a deeply integrated historical technology stack is revolutionizing the way our armed forces train for the complexities of modern warfare.

Spatial computing enables the creation of virtual landscapes where military personnel can engage with AI-driven adversaries across diverse operational settings, from digital seas to virtual battlefields. Our technology easily federates data and real time reactions The backbone of these sophisticated simulations is a comprehensive technology stack that integrates historical data and builds on previous technological advancements. This framework, which can easily be operated from the Hadean Platform, enables AI systems to draw from a vast repository of past military engagements, training operations, and evolving combat strategies. By utilizing this rich historical context, the AI can generate adversaries and scenarios that are not only challenging but also steeped in the practical realities of warfare.