Emil Knutsson’s Post

New Post: Former Top NATO Commander Warns of “Drone Swarm” Threat - https://lnkd.in/gjWsd-zW SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — While the use of lethal drones is escalating in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East and elsewhere, the global proliferation of the technology and advances in artificial intelligence have raised concerns about the threat posed by so-called autonomous weapons – drones that destroy targets with limited human intervention, relying on algorithms and onboard sensors.    As human control or oversight is reduced, fundamental questions arise: Can these autonomous systems be trusted to make spur-of-the-moment judgments, differentiate between friend and foe, and minimize collateral damage? There is particular concern about so-called “drone swarms” – in which large numbers of cheap autonomous weapons could be deployed against adversaries to devastating effect.    “The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62 Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member. Subscriber+ #Top #NATO #Commander #Warns #Drone #Swarm #Threat

As a follow-up to my previous post, it is of course very interesting to see how fast the innovation cycle accelerates during a war. We have repeatedly acknowledged Ukraine's tactical ingenuity in using USVs as a highly effective asymmetric capability against a vastly superior (on paper) adversary with a full-fledged navy. Effects have made headlines. At the same time, however, it is also interesting how Russian countermeasures against USVs have evolved and improved, especially using the flexibility of tactical aviation (rotary-type above all) and even #FPV #drones to chase and disable them, and how Ukraine is now again trying to gain a new advantage through stabilized remote weapon systems capable of dealing with Russian helicopters. MANPADs and other short-range SAMs could be even better in such a situation, perhaps, and Ukraine has already deployed them (USVs with repurposed R-73 AAMs). Despite the challenges in terms of power requirements and other aspects, it's just a matter of time before we witness the integration of autonomous functions in many systems, thus prompting a new round of thinking on how to defend from the threat. In the meantime, concepts and tactics also develop. Are #NATO countries able to catch up? Hopefully. #Ukraine #Russia #USVs #drones #defensetech

In a groundbreaking move, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of South Korea has announced the commencement of mass production of the Laser Anti-Aircraft Weapon Block-I. This innovative weapon system utilizes a laser generated from optical fibers to effectively neutralize targets, particularly small drones and trash balloons like those used by North Korea. The Laser Anti-Aircraft Weapon Block-I boasts a range of approximately 2-3 km and has demonstrated exceptional accuracy, with a 100% hit rate in test evaluations against 30 drones conducted last year. By irradiating targets for 10-20 seconds, the weapon applies heat energy exceeding 700 degrees Celsius, effectively disabling engines and electronic components within the drones. Notably, this cutting-edge weapon system incurs a minimal cost of approximately ₩2,000 per ($1.45) shot and operates silently and invisibly, making it suitable for urban environments without the risk of collateral damage from stray bullets. The development of the Laser Anti-Aircraft Weapon Block-I, part of South Korea's 'Korean Star Wars Project,' has been a collaborative effort with a budget of 87.1 billion won allocated since August 2019. The Defense Science Research Institute oversaw the system's development, with Hanwha Aerospace serving as the prime contractor. This milestone marks South Korea as the first country to officially deploy such a laser weapon system in its military. Looking ahead, plans for the development of an enhanced version, the Laser Anti-Aircraft Weapon Block-II, are already in progress to further improve output and range for potential applications against aircraft and ballistic missiles. Source: Yonhap News, Hanwha Aerospace #MilitaryInnovation #LaserWeapon #DefenseTechnology #NorthKorea #Drones #Security #FirstInMilitaryUse

AI pilots continue to advance and assert their place as a true strategic deterrent. Reading new compelling commentary from Fallujah vet and renowned author Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis in The Wall Street Journal (https://lnkd.in/d4MrDwFY) is a full-circle moment as we’ve scaled Hivemind integration to more (eight) increasingly large, fast, and capable aircraft. “The future of warfare won’t be decided by weapons systems but by systems of weapons, and those systems will cost less. Many of them already exist… What doesn’t yet exist are the AI-directed systems that will allow a nation to take unmanned warfare to scale. But they’re coming.” Back in 2020, Elliot wrote thoughtfully and thoroughly about Shield AI and our AI Pilot Hivemind:  https://lnkd.in/dGNSrtV "What happens when we apply this [AI Pilot] technology strategically? That’s what could make....[Shield AI's] Hivemind—or a system like it—transformative...imagine a network of enemy air defenses containing surface-to-air missiles, antiaircraft guns, and all the attendant sensors to detect incoming aircraft. Instead of flying a human-piloted aircraft into that network with the hope of identifying and then evading those systems, Shield AI is hoping to deploy swarms of drones—of all sizes—to map threats in real time. Now you aren’t searching the earth with a single soda straw, but with thousands.” AI Pilots are the strategic enabling product for the DoD and our allies to realize the concept of intelligent, affordable mass - a deterrent in class with our aircraft carriers, stealth bombers, and nuclear submarines. And AI Pilots are on the battlefield today. This is not a question of "Can we do it?" but "How quickly can we move out?" The greatest victory requires no war. #AIPilots #defensetechnology #GreatestVictory #unmannedaircraft

This week, The Financial Times reported on the “race to deploy” high-energy laser weapons as governments look for "cost-effective ways to tackle the proliferation of cheap drones and missiles”. The article explores the technical challenges that come with designing, developing and integrating a technology like DragonFire, a laser-based capability that was previously only seen in science fiction films. QinetiQ's Head of Business Development for Advance Weapons, Paul Gray, summarises the challenge our experts faced: “You can produce the best laser in the world but [the challenge is to be able to] settle it on the aim point and hold it there for a few seconds”. https://ow.ly/SWLF50TSTGF (article behind a paywall) The DragonFire consortium is made up of QinetiQ, MBDA, Leonardo and Dstl #defencetechnology #dragonfire #ukdefence

25 years ago I was going through all the reports, papers on how the #Scud technology could be disseminated, then increased, in several countries threatening the global security. The so-called Axis of Evil is somehow revived, and INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY published a clear example on how strategic partnerships end with technologies, and know-how, transfers. Based on a four-page document from a set of files hacked by the PRANA Network, the paper shows Iran’s broader interest in acquiring Russian military goods and technology from Technodinamika. Iran’s interests include rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), aircraft parts, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) manufacturing, production of rocket launchers, including multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), and air defense transports. Parts of this document were discussed in an April 15, 2024, Washington Post article, to which the Institute contributed. This report discusses the document in far greater detail. The document describes a 17-person Iranian delegation visit to Russia from March 5 to March 13, 2023, aimed at familiarizing themselves with the “scientific and technical potential and production capabilities of JSC Technodinamika.” This company includes more than 100 enterprises and is part of the larger group, Rostec, billed as the Russian state-owned defense conglomerate focused on the promotion of the development, manufacture, and export of high-technology products. Although Technodinamika publicly promotes the development, production, and export of high-technology products for civil aviation markets, its holdings produce a variety of military and dual-use goods. Its actions in supplying the Russian Armed Forces led to it being sanctioned by several countries, including the United States, the European Union, and Switzerland. #Iran #sanctions #exportcontrols #proliferation

HOW COME MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE THE EMPHASIS BY ISRAEL / THE U.S POST IRANIAN RETALIATION IS ON THE CLAIM THAT 99 PERCENT OF IRANIAN MISSILES & DRONES WERE DESTROYED ?!! DID IRON DOME AGAIN FAIL BUT TO COVER UP U.S AND U.K NAVIES JOINED HANDS TO DEFEND ISRAEL ?!!! The fact Iran reportedly told d U.S / other neighboring states about its plan to attack Israel beforehand & that the U.S allowed the Iranian attack to take place and told Israel that though its support to Israel is Ironclad but it would not support any Israeli attack on Iran ......shows an entirely new dev in Iran-U.S relations Iran didn't attack Israel to stop the Gaza Holocaust ..but apparently to avenge Israeli attack on its embassy in Syria ...but in d light of some other facts v can c an entirely diff motive behind dis drama 1) the fact everything normalized so quickly ...i.e the airspace was reopened to int air traffic by neigboring states of Israel just 24 hours after d Iranian attack is strange as is the fact that like Oct 7th 2023 Hamas's attack , this Iranian attack on Israel is controversial ..with Israel / US claiming 99 percent of Iranian rockets & missiles were intercepted by U.S/ U.K / Israeli air defense systems while Iran claims more than 50 percent projectiles hit their target in Israel .It seems after thousands of Hamas rockets tricked Israel's Iron Dome BMD on Oct 7th 2023 , arms sellers in the U.S and Israel wanted to restore trust in d efficacy of Israel's Iron Dome / U.S's Patriot BMD & hence this drama of Israel's attack on Iranian embassy in Syria and Iranian retaliation was enacted ... 

💡 NEW CMS-REPORT What does the accelerated pace of drone and counter-drone innovation, and the growing importance of these technologies in the war in Ukraine, mean for the future of armed conflict? This is the central question in the new CMS-report “Drones, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and the Future of Armed Conflict” written by Researcher at CMS Dr Neil Renic and Research Assistant at CMS Johan Gröne published in cooperation with Djøf Forlag. The drone has unequivocally moved from a peripheral piece of equipment to now serving as a central technology in modern warfare. The report describes how the proliferation and use of drones have evolved, drawing out lessons from the war in Ukraine for future armed conflict. In conclusion the report formulates a set of recommendations to enable Denmark to navigate a rapidly changing drone landscape.   Read the full report (and the Danish memo) here: https://bit.ly/3XAJMQy   Centre for Military Studies, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, Forsvaret. Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, Danish Ministry of Defence  

A Historic Moment in South Korean Defense In July 2024, DAPA disclosed South Korea’s plans to mass produce laser weapons aimed at neutralizing the aerial threat of North Korean drones. The Star Wars Project was developed by Hanwha Aerospace and is, in part, a response to the growing hostilities between North and South Korea. DAPA said the weapon fires invisible and silent shots and only operates on electricity. It doesn’t need any further ammunition and costs around $1.45 (2,000 won) per shot, making it a considerably cheaper automated weapons system compared to its other, more complex variations. Using fiber optic cables, it generates laser beams estimated at 700 degrees Celcius (1292 degrees Fahrenheit) that pierce through drone bodies, effectively neutralizing their engines. DAPA official Lee Sang-yoon explained, “When a laser weapon transfers heat to a drone, its surface melts. As the surface melts, the internal components catch fire, causing the drone to eventually fall. This laser weapon uses electricity, so simply increasing the output allows it to travel at the speed of light." #wmd #darpa #southkorea #starwarslaser #threatcapability https://lnkd.in/gzrV_rgD