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Defence scientists from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States are attempting to close off electronic warfare (EW) vulnerabilities faced by future robotics vehicles.
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Experts sought to identify and resolve vulnerabilities faced by autonomous systems in a congested electronic warfare environment, during the Trusted Operation of Robotic Vehicles in a Contested Environment (TORVICE) trial conducted at Cultana Training Area, South Australia last year.
During the trial, scientists tested a range of robotic vehicles and their sensors by subjecting them to electronic warfare, electro optical and position, navigation and timing attacks.
Dr Peter Shoubridge, Chief Land and Joint Warfare at Defence, said the trial was designed to test autonomous vehicle behaviour when under attack.
“Understanding how robotic vehicles react in contested environments accelerates our collective know-how and helps improve the system to overcome such attacks,” Dr Shoubridge said.
“Transitioning trusted robotic capabilities into the hands of our warfighters safely and ethically is a priority.”
UK and US robotic ground vehicles, without weapons, were configured to represent autonomous multi-domain launchers and uncrewed ground vehicles conducting long-range precision fires and associated missions during the trial.
TORVICE is part of the US, the UK, and Australia’s commitment to the AUKUS Advanced Capabilities Pillar, known as Pillar II, under the Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy Working Group. The trial is part of an ongoing series pursuing a trilateral program of work on a range of leading-edge technologies and capabilities to promote security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The TORVICE project builds upon the work the AUKUS partners demonstrated in Salisbury in April,” according to Dr Kimberly Sablon, US Department of Defense Principal Director for trusted artificial intelligence and autonomy.
“During this exercise, we performed rigorous red teaming of our autonomous/AI systems to assess and mitigate vulnerabilities and to improve their resilience in contested and complex environments.”
Australia, the UK, and the US have previous agreed to collaborate on and accelerate collective understanding of artificial intelligence and autonomy technologies, and how to rapidly field robust, trustworthy artificial intelligence and autonomy in complex operations, while adhering to the shared values of safe and responsible AI.
TORVICE follows the first AUKUS artificial intelligence and autonomy trial held in the UK in April. The aim of this AUKUS collaboration is to rapidly drive these technologies into responsible military use.
Earlier this year, more than 11 companies signed contracts to provide a prototype of a drone or uncrewed aerial system for the Defence Sovereign UAS Challenge, according to a Defence statement published on 30 January.
Companies including AMSL Aero, Autonomous Technology, Bask Aerospace, Boresight, Crystalaid Manufacture, DefendTex Military Products, Edinburgh Drone Company, Geodrones Australia, Ichor Autonomy, SYPAQ Systems, and V-TOL Aerospace have all signed on to develop a prototype UAS and production plan.
The contracts, worth $1,210,000 in total, are part of the Sovereign UAS Challenge, run by the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA).
