Artificial Intelligence in Military Application – Opportunities and Challenges

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an increasing role in planning and supporting military operations and becoming a key tool in intelligence and analysis of the enemy’s intelligence. Another field of application of AI is the field of application of autonomous weapon systems and vehicles. The use of AI is expected to have a greater impact on the military functions of human-machine interfaces (machine-learning, man-machine teaming). AI promises to get over the “3V challenge” (volume, variety and velocity) of Big Data, and is also expected to reduce the risks concerning the other “2V” (veracity, value), and to render data processing on a controlled level of decision based on AI’s knowledge. The aim of the article is to provide an overview on the potentials of application of AI in the military and to highlight the need to identify and define measurable indicators to evaluate benefits of state-of-the-art technologies and solutions which are expected to improve quality and performance of operations focusing on key areas as of situational awareness and decision-making support and also logistic and operational planning as well as modelling and simulation (M&S).

A Broadband Circularly Polarized Antenna with Low-Profile and Wide Axial Ratio Beamwidth

In this work, the design and the characterization of a broadband circular polarized monopole having low-profile and wide axial ratio beamwidth were presented. The antenna was designed on readily available, inexpensive glass-reinforced epoxy substrate having an overall size of 0.56λ0×0.50λ0×0.029λ0 (at center frequency 5.5 GHz). The proposed antenna was a modification of a square-shaped monopole antenna, which incorporates a pair of peripheral slits and an off-center slot for a elliptical polarized radiation. A v-shaped notch below the feed line was introduced and extended as antenna ground to generate broadband circular polarization characteristics. The −10 dB reflection coefficient bandwidth and 3-dB axial-ratio bandwidth of the proposed antenna were measured to be of 47.6 and 27 %, respectively. The 3-dB axial ratio beamwidth of the antenna was 93.5°. The antenna proposed in this work covers multiple application frequency bands including HiperLAN/2 IEEE 802.11a (5.15 - 5.35 GHz / 5.47 - 5.725 GHz) band, WLAN frequency band (5.1 - 5.9 GHz), C-band uplink (5.925 - 6.325 GHz) and part of military application band (4.75 - 4.99 GHz). HIGHLIGHTS Design and characterization of a broadband circular polarized monopole having low-profile and wide axial ratio beamwidth Proposed antenna covers multiple application frequency bands including HiperLAN/2 IEEE 802.11a, WLAN, C-band uplink and part of military application bands Proposed antenna is compact, low-profile and exhibits good polarization purity GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Analysis of the military application of unmanned aircraft and main direction for their development

Modern military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are assigned a wide range of functions, for the implementation of which they perform many tasks in various military conflicts. The results of the analysis give them the opportunity to reveal the problems in the use of UAVs, make changes in their functions and tasks and identify areas for further development. At present, this requires the introduction of the achievements of artificial intelligence, the introduction of expert systems and microelectronics on board UAVs, as well as their integration with various other means of conducting armed struggle. At the same time, some of the technological solutions for the creation and improvement of UAVs for military purposes can be applied in the civilian sector.