Artificial intelligence will be important to idea of remote squads on infantry fighting vehicles in certain missions. On the new vehicle:
AI-enabled sensors and targeting technology will also be a pivotal technology when it comes to engineering a vehicle that is both highly-mobile and survivable. When it comes to new sensor technology, there are several pertinent areas of technical exploration. Improved 3rd-Gen Forward Looking Infrared sensors will bring higher-resolution targeting, longer-range technology and massively improved computer technology. Computer-enabled autonomy will help operators organize incoming sensor data from otherwise disparate nodes.
New sensor technology is, naturally, closely aligned with cameras and video surveillance for the vehicle; Next Generation Combat Vehicle requirements call for a 360-degree array of cameras around the vehicle, as a way to alert crews of approaching threats from all directions.
AI is also quite likely to be indispensable to the “optionally-manned” portion of the requirement, as it can draw upon algorithms to function autonomously to test enemy defenses, travel at high speeds, perform advanced ISR functions and even fire weapons. In this kind of scenario, humans would of course operate in a role of command and control, allowing self-driving machines to confront the highest risks.
When dismounted combat is not envisioned, I hoped to use remote weapon stations operating by soldiers to the rear to reduce troop casualties from catastrophic hits, as I described in this Infantry magazine article.
This reachback capability for the squad of temporarily remotely manned weapons with a live crew would be an interim step to AI-crewed. Although obviously the infantry would still need to be carried for dismounted operations.
