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27 Sep 23. Are AI pilots likely to take over combat?
Like it or not, autonomous systems are going to play an increasing role in defence capabilities moving forward, across all domains and using a wide variety of automated systems. Autonomous aerial systems could soon be relied on heavily by defence programmes, from small, low cost drones, through to AI pilot systems.
Over the past twenty years, efforts have intensified to create artificial intelligence pilots for military use. Last month, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks revealed that the US military’s Replicator programme plans to deploy thousands of autonomous weapons systems, including autonomous unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), over the next 18 to 24 months. Although this programme is primarily focused on lower cost, ‘attritable systems’, that the Pentagon would be happy to sacrifice in return for achieving a mission’s objective.
Using autonomous pilots for fighter jets that can cost upwards of $100 m each, is quite another matter entirely. However, there are clear future advantages for doing this, including enhanced combat capabilities, speed of response to threats, strategic advantage over other militaries, and reduced risk to human pilots.
Automated systems, of course, have been used in commercial aviation for many years. Commercial autopilot systems ultimately give pilots more control and enhanced ability to respond to new demands in the air, whilst autothrottle systems help optimise both throttle control and fuel economy. The capabilities of autopilot systems have grown dramatically over the past decade, as better sensors have become available. A modern jet airliner can have tens of thousands of electronic sensors, collecting terabytes of data during a flight.
Air forces clearly have different requirements to airline fleets, but there are lessons to be learned from the commercial sector. Introducing new auto-pilot systems have many attendant risks, as was illustrated by Boeing’s introduction of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) into commercial aircraft.
Military interest in AI-piloted planes began to grow in the 2010s, culminating in the US Air Force use of an AI algorithm to help co-pilot a successful test flight, of a Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft, in 2019. The ‘ARTUµ’ algorithm was developed by a small team of researchers at the Air Combat Command’s U-2 Federal Laboratory.
In 2020, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced that, in a simulated dogfighting competition run by its Air Combat Evolution (ACE) programme in an F-16 simulator, an AI model defeated an experienced F-16 fighter pilot.
Now things have begun to get even more interesting. DARPA revealed earlier this year that an AI model developed by ACE had successfully piloted a F-16 in flight. The AI pilot flew multiple flights in a specially modified F-16, over several days of tests at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Notwithstanding successful tests such as these, it is still premature to announce the advent of autonomous AI combat pilots. Tests conducted to-date have all been carried out in controlled conditions and in real combat scenarios many different operational factors apply. We can expect to see an increasing sophistication of AI apps enter the cockpit in the near term, but fighter pilots shouldn’t worry about their jobs just yet. (Source: Armada)
28 Sep 23. Asia: Chinese-affiliated threat actor elevates risks to entities in government, defence sectors. On 27 September, US and Japanese law enforcement released a joint security advisory about ‘BlackTech’, a Chinese-affiliated threat actor. BlackTech exploits trusted relationships between organisations and the software giant, Cisco, planting backdoors in Cisco router firmware to obtain initial access to networks and gain administrative privileges on network devices. They target branch routers used at remote offices to connect to corporate headquarters and deploy a custom backdoor to steal sensitive information. BlackTech has been active since at least 2010, conducting cyber espionage campaigns aimed at entities in Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. The group continuously updates its toolset to evade detection, indicating its sophistication and advanced skillset. BlackTech predominantly focuses on organisations in the defence, government, telecommunication, technology and media sectors in Asia, elevating the infection risk to companies in these sectors. The risk of infection will remain elevated over the coming months as Beijing continues to pursue strategic goals by targeting businesses in Asia with ties to the West. (Source: Sibylline)
28 Sep 23. New Zealand requests proposals for Bushmaster digital and communications system. Bidders will provide New Zealand’s personnel with situational awareness and the ability to communicate in the field.
New Zealand’s (NZ) Ministry of Defence (MoD) has requested proposals for the design, construction and installation of communications and digital systems that will connect the force’s 43-strong Bushmaster infantry vehicle fleet.
“The new… systems will ensure NZ Army personnel can work anytime and anywhere, on domestic exercises as well as on multinational deployments with international partners,” stated Huntley Wright, Assistant Secretary for Capability Delivery at the MoD.
Currently, some NZ Bushmasters uses radios to communicate, these are in use at the Waiouru Military Camp for driver and commander training.
However, Wright specifies additional technologies within these advanced systems, including “real-time digital maps, secure radios and instant messaging.
“They will advance a soldier’s situational awareness, support their decision making, enable information collection and improve secure communication between people and other vehicles.”
The MoD is taking a phased approach to integrate the fleet by 2026.
Balancing cost and capability in NZ’s digital and communications system
GlobalData says that official documents have forecast budget estimates until 2025. An exponential decline can be observed in these estimates, with a negative compound annual growth rate of 4.8% in 2027.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, NZ’s budget fell from $4.3bn (NZ$7.2bn) in 2019 to $2.5bn in 2020, but GlobalData estimates that this will rebound to $3bn in 2027.
NZ’s defence budget reveals its task of balancing cost with capability – which includes being able to integrate with fleets in partner nations.
The country’s main focus is on patrolling its coastlines and keeping its sea lanes open. This has proven more difficult in its region, where China’s growing military posture threatens what many observers of the current geopolitical environment have dubbed a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
In fact, NZ’s call for a new Bushmaster digital and communications system comes just after the MoD awarded the UK supplier, Systems Engineering and Assessments (SEA) company, a $32.9m contract to install a modern communications system onboard the South Pacific nation’s two Anzac class frigates.
The two vessels are currently undergoing the second of two phases to install SEA’s system, which will be operational in 2024.
Given that the British system is a modular one and reduces through-life costs – which is a big deal considering the country’s rebounding budget – SEA may be in the running to apply its expertise to NZ’s land vehicles too. (Source: army-technology.com)
28 Sep 23. BFBS Confirms Defence Welfare Use Case for its MiPlayer over LiFi.
BFBS Media Innovation has been testing its welfare media and communications platform, MiPlayer, with Consolite’s military LiFi technology.
Consolite develops and delivers specialised military lighting and optical communication systems, while BFBS MiPlayer provides video, audio, and digital print content via IP networks. In the military environment this is usually via Wi-Fi as armed forces personnel use their personal electronic devices to consume the content.
However, there are environments where Wi-Fi is not feasible due to security concerns around the RF footprint. Whilst cabling options are possible this can be less than practical for Personal Electronic Device use. LiFi offers an interesting alternative to retaining a wireless freedom without some of the security challenges.
BFBS has demonstrated the MiPlayer service over Consolite’s LiFi hardware and tested the capability to deliver the data-intensive media users’ demand of the system, especially video. It has also tested the reliability and the pure practicality of using this method of delivery.
BFBS’s Director of Development and Strategy, Nick Beer, said: “This project came about through a combination of strategic development and coincidence! Consolite’s CEO, Nick Rice, and I met when we were on booths opposite each other at the Combined Naval Event in Farnborough and it only needed a short conversation to confirm we both had the same ideas of the utility of LiFi for our platform. I am delighted with the results and convinced of the utility of LiFi for delivery applications in defence – particularly at sea – and other verticals.”
Nick Rice said: “We are delighted to support BFBS with its long heritage of providing information and entertainment to our nation’s forces. LiFi is a perfect carrier for the amount of data needed for modern Infotainment.
“We imagine a future on Royal Navy ships where crews have access to downloaded and streamed content, similar to that which they experience at home. We hope this provides more comfortable downtime, happier crews, smoother running of the ship and better retention.
“Our focus at Consolite is to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for our serving men and women. Lighting and data provided by light is a day-to-day necessity for all of us and even more so in the tough environment at sea. Our enduring gratitude goes out to all member of the Armed Forces for their continued bravery and service.”
27 Sep 23. Global: New ransomware affiliates elevate security, operational risks to global businesses. On 26 September, the cyber security company, Group-IB, released a report on a new Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) affiliate, ‘ShadowSyndicate’, which distributes and manages multiple ransomware families to global users. The group has been active since at least June 2022 and has links to the operators of Cl0p, Play, Royal, Cactus, ALPHV, Quantum and Nokoyawa ransomware families. Between 2022 and 2023, ShadowSyndicate distributed multiple different ransomware families and used a wide range of open-source malicious tools, including Cobalt Strike, Meterpreter and IcedID trojan, to run their operations. The group is suspected of using at least 85 different servers in its attacks across various regions, making it difficult to attribute the group to a specific location. ShadowSyndicate uses a broad number of ransomware families for operations, indicating the realistic possibility of the group having ties to multiple ransomware operators to increase the frequency and scale of their operations for financial profit. Consequently, ransomware campaigns by ShadowSyndicate are highly likely to elevate security risks to global business operations in the long term. (Source: Sibylline)
22 Sep 23. Global: Increased ransomware campaigns against small firms will elevate security, operational risks. Cyber security company Trend Micro disclosed in a report on 21 September that ransomware threat actors have shifted towards targeting smaller organisations in campaigns in H1 2023 compared to H2 2022. There was a 47% increase in the number of new victims in H1 2023, with many being smaller organisations. More than half (57%) of all Lockbit operations in H1 2023 were against organisations with fewer than 200 employees, while small businesses accounted for 45% of victims in BlackCat operations. Smaller organisations tend to have lower security budgets and less mature cyber security programmes, making them easier targets that are more likely to result in a payout. Researchers also noted that there was an 11.3% increase in the number of new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operations in H1 2023, likely due to the greater commercialisation of the dark web. There has also been an increase in the emergence of more, smaller ransomware groups. This is likely due to the leaking of prominent ransomware source code, enabling more threat actors to create new ransomware strains. Ransomware will remain a persistent security and operational risk to global businesses for the long term. (Source: Sibylline)
25 Sep 23. Asia: Chinese threat actors elevate security risks to government entities in Southeast Asia. On 22 September, cyber security firm, Palo Alto Networks’, security team released a report regarding three Chinese-affiliated threat actors targeting an unnamed Southeast Asian country in several cyber espionage campaigns. The observed campaigns, which spanned from 2021 to late 2023, targeted various government entities, with critical infrastructure including, healthcare institutions, financial administrators and foreign ministries. One cluster of cyber activity, attributed to ‘Mustang Panda’, focused on stealing sensitive information, as well as establishing a long-term foothold within the targeted country’s network. The second cluster, conducted by ‘Alloy Taurus’, weaponised software vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Servers to deliver malware, and bypassed security products for long-term persistence. The final cluster exploited vulnerable Microsoft IIS servers to obtain initial access and collect intelligence. These operations often occurred simultaneously, and sometimes in the same victims’ machines, indicating heavy strategic interest from Beijing towards Southeast Asia, particularly this unnamed country. This development comes shortly after reported research on another Chinese-affiliated threat actor targeting government entities in an undisclosed Southeast Asian country, underscoring the increasing security risk posed by Chinese threat actors in this sector. (Source: Sibylline)
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Spectra Group Plc
Spectra Group (UK) Ltd, internationally renowned award-winning information security and communications specialist with a proven record of accomplishment.
Spectra is a dynamic, agile and security-accredited organisation that offers secure Hosted and Managed Solutions and Cyber Advisory Services with a track record of delivering on time, to spec and on budget.
With over 15 years of experience in delivering solutions for governments around the globe, elite militaries and private enterprises of all sizes, Spectra’s platinum and gold-level partnerships with third-party vendors ensure the supply of best value leading-edge technology.
Spectra was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 for SlingShot.
In November 2017, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd announced its listing as a Top 100 Government SME Supplier by the UK Crown Commercial Services.
Spectra’s CEO, Simon Davies, was awarded 2017 Businessman of the Year by Battlespace magazine.
Founded in 2002, the Company is based in Hereford, UK and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.
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