2 January 2023

US Military Develops AI Systems to Counter Iranian Drone Threats


General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, Commander of US Central Command, announced during a press briefing that the US military has developed three innovative AI military systems to counter Iranian threats in the Middle East region. These systems, which cover land, sea, and air capabilities, are being implemented in response to the sophisticated and expanding capabilities of Iranian drones in the region. Kurilla specifically highlighted the increasing range and deadlier payloads of these drones as a threat to the US and its partner militaries.

"Iranian drones are a threat in the region. Iran commands an arsenal of drone systems ranging from small, short-range to modern intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance units. They are building larger drones that can fly further with increasingly deadly payloads," Kurilla explained.

To address these emerging threats, the US is downsizing its ground presence and instead relying on interconnected AI systems that will integrate with the region's militaries. One of these systems, Task Force 59, will consist of a fleet of over 100 maritime vessels based in Bahrain and Aqaba, Jordan, working together and communicating to provide a common operating picture to all participating militaries. Task Force 99, based in Qatar, will operate aerial drones equipped with tailored payloads and other capabilities to observe, detect, and gather data for an operations center. Task Force 39, the land component, will test concepts and technology, including a fleet of unmanned and manned ground vehicles, to defeat Iranian drones.

Kurilla also mentioned that the US is still partnering with Syrian Democratic Forces to counter threats from Daesh, and that while Daesh's capabilities in Iraq and Syria have been significantly degraded, the group still retains the ability to conduct operations in the region. The US military is continuing to advise, assist, and enable the Iraqi security forces in the fight against Daesh, and plans to release a full report on its Defeat Daesh operations in Iraq and Syria, including a tally of operations, raids, detentions, and killed Daesh operatives.

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