The Navy is progressively phasing artificial intelligence (AI) into its ship systems, weapons, networks, and command and control infrastructure as computer automation becomes more reliable and advanced algorithms make once-impossible discernments and analyses. Previously segmented data streams on ships, drones, aircraft, and even submarines are now increasingly able to share organized data in real-time, in large measure due to breakthrough advances in AI and machine learning. AI can, for instance, enable command and control systems to identify moments of operational relevance from among hours or days or surveillance data in milliseconds, something which saves time, maximizes efficiency, and performs time-consuming procedural tasks autonomously at an exponentially faster speed. "Multiple data bytes of information will be passed around on the networks here in the near future. So as we think about big data, and how do we handle all that data and turn it into information without getting overloaded, this will be a key part of AI, then we're talking about handling decentralized systems," Nathan Husted of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock told an audience at the 2022 Sea Air Space Symposium.

Drones equipped with hyperspectral and thermal sensors will be deployed in Italy to spot trees infected with Xylella fastidiosa, the deadly bacterium that has been devastating the country's olive crops for almost a decade. The sensors will be able to detect almost indiscernible signs of early infection, such as very slight changes in colour to the leaves, allowing farmers to cull affected trees and prevent outbreaks. More than 300,000 trees will be examined using the new drone technology in the next few months.

I can't believe they had to wait so long. Finally, after 50 days of war, the new U.S. military assistance package announced by President Joe Biden Wednesday afternoon is providing Ukraine some American heavy artillery, 300 armored vehicles, and other equipment that will significantly boost Ukraine's ability to take on the Russians. Based on the list of new weapons going to Ukraine, the Pentagon must see some serious Russian attacks coming. Evidently, somebody lit a fire under the Pentagon staff. Deliveries will "literally start right away," pledged Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on Apr. 13.

New technology is helping rescue teams search for lost climbers on Britain's highest peaks.

THE TIMELINE for Amazon's flying delivery service has been pushed back after one drone caused a brush fire. Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, has long been vocal about his plan for creating a fleet of drones to deliver Prime packages in 30 minutes. However, despite spending more than $2 billion on the project, Amazon is still not in a place to launch the planned delivery system. In fact, a Bloomberg investigation found that the service is plagued by technical challenges and safety concerns. Furthermore, drones have crashed in test runs, and have even been the cause of a brush fire that spanned 25 acres. Reports found that last year, five delivery drones crashed at Amazon's test site in Oregon, with one causing the fire.

The United States said Tuesday it has "credible information" that Russia may use "chemical agents" in its offensive to take the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, reigniting concerns about the use of such prohibited weapons. While the West and Kyiv have been warning Moscow since the start of its invasion on February 24 against any use of chemical weapons, fears have grown this week after unconfirmed reports emerged that such weapons may have already been deployed. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Tuesday that it was "concerned" by allegations that chemical weapons had been used in Mariupol, a strategic port city besieged by Russian forces in the east of Ukraine and the scene of heavy fighting. The OPCW, to which both Russia and Ukraine belong, referred to "accusations leveled by both sides around possible misuse of toxic chemicals." The Ukrainian Azov battalion, which is engaged in the defense of Mariupol, said Monday that a Russian drone had dropped a "poisonous substance" on soldiers and civilians in Mariupol.

GoPro has unveiled the Hero 10 Black Bones, a lightweight version of the Hero 10 Black designed for FPV and "Cinewhoop" drones that have taken off in popularity. It offers features like HyperSmooth 4.0 and 5.3K video, but is light enough to be mounted on 3-inch class and larger drones. "Bones is an important step in our strategy to leverage GoPro's core camera-technology to produce derivative products that address the needs of a specific audience of customers," said GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. "Bones delivers Hero 10 Black image quality and performance in a lightweight body that is ideal for aerial cinematography." At 54 grams, the Hero 10 Black Bones weighs 100 grams less than the Hero 10 black, making it the lightest GoPro ever, the company said. Helping keep the weight down is the fact that it doesn't carry its own battery but is instead powered by the drone's own 2S-6S or 5-27V batteries -- a typical setup on FPV drones.

BUCHA, Ukraine--Searching for evidence in the killings of hundreds of people by Russian troops here, Ukrainian prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko unlocked the double doors leading to a boiler room on the south side of town. The space had been used as an office by the occupying forces. Two weeks after Russia's retreat from areas around the Ukrainian capital, local and national authorities are embarking on a wide-ranging probe of alleged war crimes with the aim of building cases strong enough to persuade an international court to hold the Kremlin and its soldiers responsible.

Earlier this year, a 71-year-old man in the Swedish city of Trollhattan was shovelling snow outside his house when he suffered a cardiac arrest -- his heart suddenly stopped beating. A passing doctor rushed to help and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to keep blood and oxygen flowing to his brain and other vital organs, while a bystander called for an ambulance. It was a race against time. With no pulse, the man's heart needed to be shocked back into life using a defibrillator. The drone took just three minutes to arrive, reaching the patient well ahead of paramedics.

Jeff Bezos went on 60 Minutes in 2013 and pledged to fill the skies with a fleet of delivery drones that could zip parcels to customers' homes in 30 minutes. Asked when this future would arrive, the Amazon.com Inc. founder said he expected drone deliveries to commence in the next five years or thereabouts. Almost a decade later, despite spending more than $2 billion and assembling a team of more than 1,000 people around the world, Amazon is a long way from launching a drone delivery service. A Bloomberg investigation based on internal documents, government reports and interviews with 13 current and former employees reveals a program beset by technical challenges, high turnover and safety concerns. A serious crash in June prompted federal regulators to question the drone's airworthiness because multiple safety features failed and the machine careened out of control, causing a brush fire.