With an aim to help warship crews make quick decisions and process data efficiently, the U.K.’s Ministry of Defense recently announced contracts to use AI-based (artificial intelligence) technology in warships.
According to a source, Defense and Security Accelerator (DASA) will be funding £1 million (around US$1.3 million) for AI contracts as part of its “Intelligent Ship – The Next Generation” competition, which is aimed at using innovative approaches for Human-AI and AI-AI teaming for various defense platforms like warships, aircraft, and land vehicles.
James Heappey, U.K.’s Defense Minister, said, “The astonishing pace at which global threats are evolving requires new approaches and fresh thinking to the way we develop our ideas and technology. The funding will research pioneering projects into how AI and automation can support our armed forces in their essential day-to-day work.”
DASA’s warship competition, in alliance with the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), is intended to enhance the designs of future defense platforms by using advances in automation, autonomy, machine learning, and AI.
Julia Tagg, technical lead from Dstl, said, “This DASA competition has the potential to lead the transformation of our defense platforms, leading to a sea change in the relationships between AI and human teams. This will ensure U.K. defense remains an effective, capable force for good in a rapidly changing technological landscape.”
“Crews are already facing information overload with thousands of sources of data, intelligence, and information. By harnessing automation, autonomy, machine learning and artificial intelligence with the real-life skill and experience of our men and women, we can revolutionize the way future fleets are put together and operate to keep the U.K. safe,” Tagg added.
Last year, the governments of the U.K. and Singapore joined hands to promote user “Security by Default” in both countries. According to an official report, the Chief Executive of the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre, Ciaran Martin, and Chief Executive of Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency, David Koh, signed a joint statement on cooperation between Singapore and the U.K. on Internet of Things.
Both countries have agreed to work together on areas of common interest, including alignment, cooperation, and coordination to support the cause. The Singapore-U.K. strategic alliance is intended to drive improvements in the security of smart consumer devices. The agreement also accelerates the IoT industry to grow and innovate.
 technology in warships.){kind=link}