China and the US had a headstart in the AI race, largely attributed to state-sponsored funding in the Research and Development of AI-based technologies and private participation. Though Russia is not considered a frontrunner in the global AI race, it is still a force to be reckoned with. From dominating World War 2 with their superior tanks to ruling the cybersecurity space, Russians have been quick at weaponising new technologies. Vladimir Putin is a steadfast supporter of the use of AI-enabled weapons. The Russian president once said "Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia, but for all humankind. It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world."

At the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory and the University of Texas at Austin, researchers designed an algorithm that allows an autonomous ground vehicle to improve its existing navigation systems by watching a human drive. The team tested its approach -- called adaptive planner parameter learning from demonstration, or APPLD -- on one of the Army's experimental autonomous ground vehicles. "Using approaches like APPLD, current Soldiers in existing training facilities will be able to contribute to improvements in autonomous systems simply by operating their vehicles as normal," said Army researcher Dr. Garrett Warnell. "Techniques like these will be an important contribution to the Army's plans to design and field next-generation combat vehicles that are equipped to navigate autonomously in off-road deployment environments." Rather than replacing a classical system altogether, APPLD learns how to tune the existing system to behave more like the human demonstration.

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. U.S. Army leaders are quite vocal and clear about the service's six major modernization priorities, however, a close look across the spectrum of current major programs raises a pertinent question: Could the Army now be building ten new platforms? The 1980s-era "Big Five" weapons platforms are well known and often discussed as defining elements of the modern Army. These five systems are all combat tested and were massively upgraded over the years with new sensors, networking, weapons and computer systems.

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. The Senate on Tuesday rejected a bipartisan proposal to curtail the transfer of military-grade weapons and gear to local police departments. Senators voted 51-49 on the proposal, falling short of the 60 votes needed to pass. Spearheaded by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, the amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) proposed limiting tracked combat vehicles, armed drones, grenade launchers and tear gas to local police departments across the U.S. U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, left, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., attend a news conference on defunding military projects to pay for the border wall on Capitol Hill.

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. The U.S. Army wants future armored vehicles to instantly make decisions about terrain navigation, target identification, incoming enemy fire, force positions and warfare strategy. In fact, the military wants this to happen in a matter of seconds and all without every nuance needing to be controlled or micromanaged by humans. It is a known and often discussed concept, rapidly gaining traction as new technology continues to emerge at rocket speed.

Click here to read the full article. You could call it a contradiction in terms, or even a paradoxical blending of opposites--the U.S. Army is now designing a lightweight, highly lethal future armored tank that is easy to maneuver while being able to withstand dangerous enemy attacks and offering protection equal to or better than a 70-ton Abrams tank. This goal lies at the center of the Army's Next-Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV), a family of new combat platforms now being developed by the service for future warfare. Its key goals are expeditionary, lightweight, fast, using artificial intelligence, potentially unmanned, extremely lethal and perpetually upgradeable. The effort involves building new infantry carriers, tanks and robotic vehicles networked together as part of an integrated tactical maneuver strategy.

When Soldiers enter a new environment, their mission demands they stay one step ahead of the enemy; however, they may find it challenging to maintain a high level of alertness if they're driving a combat vehicle across unfamiliar or dangerous terrain.The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory designated several research programs as essential for future Soldier capabilities. Of these major flagship programs, the Artificial Intelligence for Maneuver and Mobility, or AIMM, Essential Research Program, endeavors to reduce Soldier distractions on the battlefield through the integration of autonomous systems in Army vehicles.Dr. John Fossaceca, AIMM program manager, said he seeks to develop the foundational capabilities that will enable autonomy in the next generation of combat vehicles. This include the construction of a robotic combat vehicle that operates independently of the main combat vehicle."The "We don't want Soldiers to be operating these remote-controlled vehicles with their heads down, constantly paying attention to the vehicle in order to control it.

Streamlining multiple targeting sensors to destroy long-range targets, arming forward- positioned robots to penetrate enemy defenses and receiving organized weather-specific terrain mapping from nearby drones - are all emerging combat dynamics increasingly made possible by AI-enabled weapons and technologies. New applications of AI are consolidating data from otherwise disparate sensor systems, analyzing seemingly limitless amounts of targeting data in seconds and instantly sifting through hours of drone video to massively improve attack options and shorten "sensor-to-shooter" time. "We are developing an AI stack regarding how we pull together the sensors, computing layer and analytics to manage the data," Col. Doug Matty, Army AI Task Force Deputy Director, told Warrior in an interview. New algorithms, AI-enabled computer processing and high-speed networking are all specific elements of work now underway with the Army's AI Task Force, an emerging Army effort to collaborate with industry and academia, find technology breakthroughs and develop new applications for AI, Matty explained. The Task Force is now working on prototyping systems for integration onto UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, Long-Range Precision Fires systems and the Army's emerging fleet of Next-Gen Combat Vehicles, he said.

File photo - U.S. soldiers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment watch as CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade lands after an advising mission at the Afghan National Army headquarters for the 203rd Corps in the Paktia province of Afghanistan December 21, 2014. Warrior Maven: What is the primary purpose of the Army's AI Task Force? Matty: The Army AI Task Force was established with a Secretary of the Army directive in October of 2018. There are four thrusts or top initiatives from the Secretary's directive. One component is we are leveraging AI to help our talent management in human resources.

File photo - M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks assigned to 3rd Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division stage prior to a tactical movement during Spartan Focus, at Fort Stewart, Ga. When dismounted U.S. Army infantry are attacking fortified enemy positions, taking hostile fire and moving quickly to find the best points for continued assault -- "battery life" can determine mission success or failure and even -- life or death. Units of forward positioned Army soldiers may not have quick access to battery recharging and may, therefore, depend entirely upon the functionality of their batteries - needed to power night vision, radios, small soldier-worn sensors, portable laptops for drone control and other combat-essential items. Without the requisite battery power to advance, soldiers might be forced to retreat or, of even greater consequence, become far more vulnerable to enemy fire. It goes without saying that attacking soldiers, especially those on the move on foot, need lightweight, electrically powered equipment for communications, data sharing, enemy tracking, targeting and some weaponry.