British defence firms will compete for the chance to harvest millions of pieces of wartime data from Ukraine's battlefield to create Artificial Intelligence swarm drones. Military commanders hope footage and records taken from the frontline will enable them to target future enemy submarines, tanks, troops and defences using the AI tool.
Up to 12 companies to tender for data
Up to 12 companies will submit tenders to win the information compiled by Kyiv's intelligence analysts over more than four years of warfare against Kremlin forces. It follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham's recent meetings in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelensky as he reaffirmed Britain's commitment to backing Ukraine's struggle.
The future of warfare has long been considered to be one that will rely on large-scale attack and defence by unmanned craft on the sea, land and also in the air.
Force multiplier to save lives
The military hopes this will act as a 'force multiplier' expanding the effect of troops and drones exponentially to save lives of sailors, airstaff and the infantry. Sources add that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) hopes the UK-Ukraine AI partnership will mean drone swarms could be used if normal communications break-down in warfare.
Access to the extensive database will be initially available for up to 12 UK companies and their proposals must be applicable to both Ukrainian and British defence. To advance this work at pace, those companies will be selected in just a matter of weeks and their exploitation of the data will begin soon after.
Deployment and database details
It could lead to large numbers of drones being deployed at once to perform resupplies to frontline forces, attacks on enemy hardware and targeting of ground forces. Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting MP said: "Ukraine is the frontline of freedom for us all. On my recent visit to Kyiv, I saw first-hand the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people. I also saw the extraordinary innovation which is allowing them to repel Putin's illegal and unprovoked invasion."
The database includes sensor information from over six million detections of objects, such as tanks, artillery, air defence systems, infantry, and aerial targets, including Shahed drones and reconnaissance Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles. Modern technology has led the bank of battlefield information becoming the largest collection of data on drone warfare compiled and is highly-prized.
Russian drone use and war impact
Russian forces are increasingly turning to the use of drones, even accelerating their use of jet-powered unmanned craft to deliver explosions against Ukraine's troops and civilians. This has become even more crucial to Vladimir Putin's ailing full-scale invasion since his commanders are running desperately short of soldiers, sailors and airstaff.
The war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year, has seen well over 1.5 million deaths and injuries among Moscow's forces, putting immense pressure on Russia's labour market and recruitment. Tens of thousands of North Korean men and women have been drafted in to help Russia staff its drone factories and more than 14,000 troops have been sent to the frontline by Pyongyang. At least half of the North Korean troops sent to fight on Russia's behalf have been killed or been put out the battle through serious injury as Putin looks towards mobilisation. But increased Ukrainian attacks on Russia's oil refineries and E-commerce industry have brought the war home to ordinary citizens increasingly unhappy with the war.
