US, UK, Australia to carry out maritime drone drills in 2024, focus on AI
- Announcement follows second ministerial meeting of Aukus military alliance, held up as vital to curb Chinese maritime expansion
- AI could improve Aukus buoys network in Indo-Pacific able to detect enemy subs and relay information to patrol aircraft, top defence officials explain
Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States will conduct joint maritime drone exercises in 2024 and aim to integrate artificial intelligence into various military systems, including maritime patrol aircraft, senior defence officials from the three nations said on Friday.
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, and Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said after the meeting that the exercises were expected to enhance the capability to “jointly operate unmanned maritime systems and to share and process maritime data among all three countries”.
The exercises will build skills, improve integration and “rapidly accelerate” the sophistication and scale of autonomous maritime systems that the allies can deploy and operate, Austin said.
The top defence officials also explained that the military technologies powered by AI would, for instance, improve a network of buoys operated by Aukus nations in the Indo-Pacific. These buoys, equipped with sensors, are designed to detect enemy submarines and relay the information to patrol aircraft.