Role of Artificial Intelligence in Military Aviation - Indian Defence Review

The discovery of gunpowder in the ninth century and the invention of the atomic bomb in the twentieth century may be considered the first two revolutions in warfare. The third revolution in warfare is Artificial Intelligence (AI), the branch of computer sciences that is engaged in the development of intelligence machines i.e. those that could think and function like human beings. AI has gained enough prominence in military spheres by way of autonomous weaponry on land, sea, air, space and cyber domains to be considered as a breakthrough that militaries around the world are scampering to exploit so as to dominate, or at least gain an advantage over, potential or existing adversaries. Air power, from the days of Douhet, concerns air supremacy; that is to say, it aims at possessing the capability to use the medium of air to own advantage while denying its use to the adversary. However, concepts of air power thought have evolved remarkably since Douhet on account of technological innovations. From gladiatorial dogfights between knights of the air, the instruments of air power have progressed astoundingly with the advent of Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles, air-to-surface weapons launched from long distances without visually sighting the targets they are aimed at, stealth and speed enhancements and aircraft performance in terms of manoeuver ability and agility.