US Forces In Mideast To Use Artificial Intelligence Against Drones

An Iranian Mohajer drone being launched during military drills
An Iranian Mohajer drone being launched during military drills

US defense officials say their forces around the world would soon use a new technology based on artificial intelligence in face of rapidly evolving drone threats.

Schuyler Moore, Chief Technology Officer at US Central Command (CENTCOM), said Wednesday that such ideas are expected to play a much bigger role in bolstering American troops.

CENTCOM is the US combatant command that covers the Middle East and parts of northern Africa and southern Asia.

“This tool is intended to do is to provide the opportunity for the boots on the ground that are closest to the threat and closest to their operational environment to mimic that environment as accurately as possible and to, as well, deploy threats against their base and to train against threats on their base that they see and that they interact with sometimes daily,” said army Sergent Mickey Reeve, who developed the counter-unmanned aerial system training software.

He added that the US will use the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center in Saudi Arabia to “pressure test” the new technology, but it will be moving around the region.

Sergeant Reeve noted the technology is not tailored solely towards Iranian-made drones, “but it was built to emulate any sort of Unmanned Aerial Systems.”

CENTCOM said there is an increased urgency for new technologies because of reduced US forces in the Middle East.

US forces regularly face threats due to conflicts in countries like Iran, Syria, and Yemen.