The Russia-Ukraine crisis took a worrisome turn on the 24th of February 2022 when Russia launched what would be the largest conventional military attack in Europe since World War II.
Many analysts see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a defining moment that ushers in new realities of modern warfare.
In the previous invasion of Ukraine in 2014, Russia displayed an ability to expand the traditional battlefield through the use of cyberspace, electronic warfare, and information weapons. We have seen a resurgence of this dynamic shift in modern warfare in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Russia has advanced in its commitment to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in military systems and operations, including logistics, command and control, intelligence collection and analysis, as well as the development of more autonomous weapons. As the conflict persists, we are likely to see countries deploy their capabilities enhanced by AI and machine learning in cyberattacks, misinformation, and disinformation campaigns.
The new realities of modern warfare are becoming apparent as The United States and Russia have already tested several autonomous systems. Russia has made important advances on autonomous tanks, while the United States has demonstrated a number of capabilities, including swarming munitions, which have the ability to destroy a surface vessel using a swarm of drones. At the moment, the United States is at the forefront of the development of autonomous systems and military AI applications.
There are indications also that Russia could partner with China in building its AI readiness, and such partnership could become a game-changer.
Technology is enabling multidomain military operations with coordination of active combat across multiple fronts. This Russia-Ukraine war will no doubt be a major test ground for most of these advancements in warfare technology.
