The trials involved deploying AI-enabled uncrewed aerial vehicles, allowing human operators to locate, disable, and neutralise ground targets. This pioneering exercise, which included AUKUS partners and experts from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), marks the first real-time military use of autonomy and AI sensing systems.
The trial focused on collaborative AI and autonomy with our allies to ensure the most effective outcomes. AI and autonomous systems were employed to reduce the time required to identify enemy targets and to operate with minimised risk to human life. The exercise featured multiple drones from each nation operating simultaneously in the same airspace to achieve a common goal, supported by an AUKUS AI team that retrained and deployed AI onto the platforms.
The seamless data and control exchange between the three nations’ technologies demonstrated the significant progress AUKUS has made in the trilateral adoption of AI and autonomous systems.
Commodore Rachel Singleton, Head of the Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre (DAIC) and UK lead for the AUKUS AI and Autonomy Working Group, said: “Resilient and Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Technologies provides the opportunity to develop, test and trial AI models on autonomous systems.
“The AUKUS partnership is key to ensuring that the systems designed by each nation are interoperable into the future. Service personnel from one nation will be supported by capabilities that have been developed across all 3 nations.
The trial, part of the AUKUS Resilient and Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Technologies (RAAIT) series, was conducted during the US-hosted multinational Project Convergence experimentation exercise. AUKUS continues to advance and deploy AI and autonomous technologies responsibly, ensuring that meaningful human control is maintained in context-appropriate scenarios.
The trial showcased the significant advancements AUKUS partners have made in the application and feasibility of RAAIT since the first UK trial in April 2023. The technology is progressing rapidly and, once proven, will be integrated into national platforms, providing the military with a strategic advantage through quicker responses to present and future threats.
Through AUKUS, new capabilities are being tested to safeguard platforms, such as protecting armoured vehicles from electronic warfare, laser, and GPS attacks. This collaborative approach across the AUKUS nations enhances military interoperability and provides access to the most advanced AI technologies across all three countries. It also opens up opportunities for domestic industry partners.
AUKUS represents a landmark defence and security alliance between Australia, the UK, and the US, supporting both Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security and the rules-based international order. Under Pillar 2, AUKUS partners are deepening cooperation on a range of cutting-edge military technologies, enhancing the military capabilities of the UK and its allies. This ensures that the necessary tools are available to defend against rapidly evolving threats.
Approximately 500 British Army personnel were deployed for Project Convergence, drawn from:
- 1 Deep Recce Brigade Combat Team
- 2nd Battalion, the Royal Yorkshire Regiment
- Ranger Regiment
Dstl’s efforts were bolstered by several industry partners, including:
- Deloitte
- Cambridge Consultants
- IQHQ
- Blue Bear Systems Research
- Frazer Nash Consulting
Government participants included Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group, and from the US:
- Air Force Research Laboratory
- Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
- Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division
- Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office
- Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center
- Ground Vehicles System Center
- Army Research Laboratory
