Military

Trends and innovations
  The military industry is witnessing significant transformations and is leveraging technology trends to strengthen military capabilities. Major trends include artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to optimise defense operations and augment military efficiency. Today, conventional warfare is increasingly being replaced by hybrid approaches that also combine cyber warfare and other frontiers. New and emerging technologies are changing the battlefield in four aspects—connectivity, lethality, autonomy, and sustainability. Connectivity solutions address concerns about how combatants detect and locate their adversaries, communicate with each other, and direct operations. Advances in missile and weapons technologies increase lethality, making battlefield operations more effective. On the autonomy front, utilising robotics and AI to execute decisions without no or minimum human interference. Lastly, improving sustainability in the defense industry with technologies like additive manufacturing and electrification.

Impact of Military Technology Trends
    AI is one of the most prominent trends as many nations and companies are increasingly spending more on AI research. The industry is also inventing novel weapons and accessory technologies. Similarly, robotics and autonomous systems improve the combat effectiveness of the military as well as impact other trends in the industry. Also, there is a substantial rise in the use of the IoT technologies such as sensors, wearables, and edge computing.
    Cyberspace is another emerging front and development for both cyberattack and cyberdefense solutions. Furthermore, immersive technologies find use in military training and combat preparedness. Additive manufacturing boosts the manufacturing capacity for defense components.5G is a crucial enabler of ultra-high-speed connectivity. Moreover, using blockchain the sensitivity of data & processes in the military is preserved.

Artificial Intelligence
    The adoption of AI in defense enhances computational military reasoning for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The use of computer vision enables equipment safety management and empowers autonomous combat systems, thereby reducing soldier casualties. By leveraging digital twin technology and machine learning, defense manufacturers test new military product iterations as well as enable militaries in predictive asset maintenance. With the deployment of swarm computing, developing self-organising intelligent systems that work collaboratively towards a strategic objective.
    Axon Vision develops an AI-based decision-making engine. The product, edge360, uses computer vision technology to provide ground vehicles with complete and automated situational awareness. With an intuitive user interface (UI) and customised alert mechanisms, it detects, classifies, and estimates the whereabouts of threats in real-time. The solution helps tactical teams navigate the threats and obstacles on the field.

Advanced Defense Equipment
    Militaries are developing more sophisticated and advanced defense equipment to counter emerging threats. Innovations ranging from the hypersonic flight and directed energy weapons to space militarisation are underway. Also, the defense industry is aligning its objective with achieving net-zero emissions. It is investing in battlefield electrification techniques through the use of electric propulsions in military aircraft as well as testing hydrogen fuels. Besides, defense organisations are also advancing research in biotechnology and nanotechnology for creating self-healing armors and other equipment.
    Epirus develops directed energy weapons systems. It utilises solid-state, software-defined high-power microwave technology to enable counter-electronics effects for a range of use cases. Featuring an open architecture, the product integrates with existing ground-based, maritime, and airborne systems for multi-layer protection against autonomous threats. The lightweight pods enable the destruction of critical electronic components, disabling drones.

Robotics & Autonomous Systems (RAS)
    Protecting forces, increasing situational awareness, reducing soldiers’ physical & cognitive workload as well as facilitating movement in challenging terrains are a few crucial objectives for militaries. The integration of RAS technologies helps militaries achieve these objectives and control terrain, secure populations, and consolidate gains. RAS is increasingly important to ensuring freedom of maneuver and mission accomplishment with the least possible risk to soldiers. The use of drones provides enhanced battlefield situational awareness. Moreover, multi-mission robots facilitate landmine clearance, search rescue operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and logistics support.
    Spear offers instant action drone-based systems. The tactical drones utilise computer vision, swarm computing, and mesh algorithms to achieve tactical superiority. The drones are suitable for instant launch from, sea, land with both stationary and mobile platforms with a payload capacity of up to 1 kg. The drones are easy to operate and, hence, require minimal training and provide a tactical advantage to the ground and special forces.

Internet of Military Things (IoMT)
    Applications of the Internet of Things (IoT) in defense include connecting ships, planes, tanks, drones, soldiers, and operating bases in a cohesive network. This enhances perception, understanding in the field, increases situational awareness and response time. Edge computing technologies, AI, and 5G support the smooth flow of data across all branches of the military and this strengthens the command-and-control structure. In IoMT, the sensing and computing devices worn by soldiers and embedded in their combat suits and equipment collect a variety of static and dynamic biometric data.
    Geosite aggregates data from different sources for both human and machine analysis. The collaborative military system uses satellites, the internet of things, and field sensors to build a common operating picture. Data visualisation along with management dashboards offer the advantage of information superiority to plan and execute operations. It helps forces in comprehensive intel for situational awareness, tracking threats, marking ranges, and mapping target areas.

Cyber Warfare
    Military systems are often vulnerable to cyber-attacks which could potentially lead to the loss of classified military information and damage to military systems. Over the past several years, the frequency and severity of cyberattacks have steadily increased. Prescriptive security technology uses a combination of cybersecurity, AI, and automation to detect potential threats and stop them before they impact defensive cyber warfare capabilities. Connected military equipment security, cyber protection for major institutions as well as in nuclear security are major areas of focus. Militaries are also developing offensive cyber warfare capabilities ranging from malware and ransomware to phishing attacks.
    HarfangLab deploys cyber defense solutions to protect critical infrastructure environments for national defense. The technology is built on ultra-robust programming offering both high computing speed and enhanced security. Its EDR software assists in the supervision, automatic detection, investigation, and neutralisation of cyber threats. The open-by-design structure enables the software to easily integrate with existing cybersecurity solutions in any organisation.

Immersive Technologies
    Immersive technologies make it easy to build immersive, repetitive, and flexible experiences, such as for flight or combat training. Using virtual reality (VR) to construct synthetic training environments (STE). These experiences augment conventional training and mission rehearsal, improving the readiness of soldiers and units. Beyond training opportunities, augmented reality (AR) makes on-field soldiers more effective in their missions. Wearable glasses or augmented reality headsets provide soldiers mapping information, movement markers, and other data. This enhances real-time situational decision-making for the ground forces.
    Red 6 develops the Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS), a solution for AR-based combat training. The system combines AR and artificial intelligence for air combat military training applications. It brings virtual and constructive assets into the real world by allowing pilots and ground operators to see synthetic threats in real-time, outdoors, and, critically, in high-speed environments. The technology is scalable to multi-domain operations and assists squadrons in enhancing readiness and lethality.

Additive Manufacturing
    Reducing the weight of defense equipment is crucial for improving performance in speed, capacity, and fuel consumption. 3D printing enables the production of components and parts while utilising significantly less material than traditional manufacturing. It reduces production costs, enables new design engineering possibilities as well as powers localised and on-demand production, reducing the logistical burden. Moreover, it facilitates the creation of novel material combinations for armors, self-heating military clothing, and ammunition.
    Rapid Application Group produces mission-critical parts for the aerospace and defense industry. They provides a range of additive manufacturing solutions such as selective laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, stereolithography, digital light printing, direct metal laser sintering, and injection molding. Its application-based approach enables rapid prototyping and quality assurance of hardware parts.

Big Data Analytics
    The future of warfare relies ever so more on information and the ability to derive insights from it. Militaries with the capabilities to extract the most vital data, accurately and quickly analyse it, and then rapidly and securely disseminate the information will have a strategic advantage. Big data analytics unlocks insights from the various data sources to do just that. Quantum computing finds applications in cryptanalysis as well as running simulations for informed decision-making. Analytics advances also enable efficient interpretation of data gathered from the IoMT infrastructure. Moreover, predictive analytics deters threats and improves the safety and efficiency of dangerous tasks.
    A cloud-based software for maximising performance in quantum computers. It utilises quantum computing for various defense applications. The solution enables cryptographic analysis and sensor-based detection of underground hardened structures and hidden weapons systems. Moreover, it facilitates quantum-enhanced navigation in GPS-denied battlefields through atomic accelerometers.

5G
    Appropriate and timely information is extremely critical to military operations. 5G technology, due to its fast speed, accelerates real-time decision support in the military. It promises hyper-converged connectivity and enhanced secured data networks. This enables new command-and-control applications and streamlines logistics. Further, 5G networks facilitate the transfer of massive amounts of data to connect distant sensors and weapons into a dense, resilient battlefield network. This provides instant situational awareness as well as enhances training and battlefield capabilities.
    Providing private 5G Infrastructure for last-mile connectivity. Its open and disaggregated network operating system, NiralOS, facilitates 5G and edge computing products. It integrates with any off-the-shelf white box hardware. For defense organisations, the 5G infrastructure enables rapid and cost-effective digital transformation at all fronts.

Blockchain
    Blockchain provides data security while allowing relevant data to be shared with all concerned parties. This is why defense building blockchain-based solutions for protecting confidential military data and countering cyber threats. Other applications of blockchain technology in the industry include device tracking, streamlining the procurement process, and supply chain security. Smart contracts significantly reduce the risk of fraud or corruption while dealing with defense contractors.
    Taekion develops technology for military data protection. It leverages blockchain to secure defense data in tamper-proof storage. The UNIX-style distributed file system has built-in compression, encryption, and deduplication features and integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure. The technology offers military-grade protection for information security at all levels. Moreover, the digital box feature enables forensic investigations after any cybersecurity attacks.