The Ukrainian military recently withdrew U.S.-provided M1A1 Abrams battle tanks from the front lines after they were reportedly destroyed by Russian drones. This withdrawal of one of the world’s most advanced battle tanks signals the potential end of a century of manned mechanized warfare as we know it. Russian drones, designed for a high level of autonomy, don’t rely on large language models or similar A.I. familiar to civilian consumers but use machine learning to help identify, seek, and destroy targets.
Even devices that are not entirely A.I.-driven increasingly use A.I. and adjacent technologies for targeting, sensing, and guidance. Techno-skeptics who argue against the use of A.I. in warfare overlook the reality that autonomous systems are already pervasive, and the technology is increasingly beneficial to these systems. Hezbollah’s use of explosive-laden drones has created significant disruptions south of the Lebanon border.
Meanwhile, Houthi rebels are using autonomous systems to threaten the 12 percent of global shipping value that passes through the Red Sea. On Oct.
Ukrainian withdrawal signals warfare shift
7, attacks in Israel, which likely utilized some A.I. capabilities, disabled Israeli surveillance towers along the Gaza border wall, allowing at least 1,500 fighters to pour over and result in the murder of over 1,000 Israelis, marking the worst eruption of violence in the area since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Despite the clear evidence of the shift in warfare, the Pentagon continues to invest heavily in legacy weapons systems. It relies on an outdated and costly technical production system to procure tanks, ships, and aircraft carriers that new generations of autonomous and hypersonic weapons can easily neutralize.
For example, the F-35, known as a “flying computer” for its ability to fuse sensor data with advanced weapons, represents the pinnacle of traditional military technology. However, even this advanced aircraft must contend with the changing landscape of warfare dominated by A.I. and autonomous systems. The U.S. military needs to adapt rapidly to these new realities.
The era of traditional manned combat may be coming to an end, and the future of warfare will be defined by A.I. and autonomous weapons. The challenge now is to ensure that the U.S. is prepared for this new era.
