Latest news with #MinistryOfDefence
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
India Allows Private Firms to Build Advanced Fighter Jets
India will for the first time allow private firms to design and develop advanced warplanes, as it beefs up domestic defense production to reduce reliance on imports. State-owned companies and private entities will have 'equal opportunities' on a 'competitive basis' to build twin-engine fighter jets, India's Ministry of Defence said in a statement Tuesday.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Robots could fight on the front line for Navy and RAF
The Royal Navy and RAF will soon be ready to put robots 'on the front line' after a successful battlefield test of the technology, the Government has said. The Ministry of Defence has spoken of 'rapid progress' in developing combat uses for artificial intelligence-powered assistance for pilots and sailors following a five-day trial, the largest of its kind ever conducted. One of the main uses of AI in the field will be automatic detection of targets and assistance commanding military vehicles. The MoD has also said that using AI on the battlefield will also reduce 'cognitive load' for service men and women. Cognitive load refers to the multiple systems that, for example, a pilot needs to pay attention. A pilot in control of a plane is expected to fly, analyse potential threats and manage communication systems. The Government claims the AI-powered battlefield tech that was successfully tested will be able to do much of this, reducing the pilot's 'cognitive load'. The trial, which took place in early March in Portland Harbour, Dorset, involved relying on AI in several 'mission-based scenarios' and testing its effectiveness compared to human combatants. It raises the prospect of robotic combatants eventually replacing human roles in parts of the Armed Forces, though sources said the possibility was still 'a little way away'. The trial came under the remit of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partnership between Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. American and Australian military experts were also present during the practice missions, though no representatives from Canada or New Zealand attended. Maria Eagle, the Defence Minister, suggested that after the successful trial the new technology could soon be deployed 'on the front line'. Defence experts in government have also said the rollout of AI on the battlefield will give British forces 'operational advantage' and improve 'mission success'. AI and drone technology are expected to feature prominently in this year's Strategic Defence Review, which will set out equipment and manpower priorities for the Armed Forces. In November the Government warned that Britain was in an 'AI arms race' with Vladimir Putin's Russia. In a speech on defence Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said of AI 'as we develop this technology there's a danger it could be weaponised against us. Because our adversaries are also looking at how to use AI on the physical and cyber battlefield'. The Government recently announced that a fleet of AI-powered battlefield robots would be built in a new plant in south-west England. Ms Eagle said: 'We can all see how AI has the potential to impact our lives and enhance our war-fighting ability, and UK defence is embracing this leap forward in technology to better support our personnel on the front line. 'Significant trials like this, working with international and industry partners, demonstrate the rapid progress we're making to utilise new technology for keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad.' Dr Paul Hollinshead, the head of the MoD's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), said: 'This innovative trial represents a significant advancement in how we develop and test defence technologies. By bringing together multiple domains and partners, we're not just collecting data – we're creating the foundation for mission success and operational advantage that will protect our forces for decades to come.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Telegraph
Robots could fight on the front line for Navy and RAF
The Royal Navy and RAF will soon be ready to put robots 'on the front line' after a successful battlefield test of the technology, the Government has said. The Ministry of Defence has spoken of 'rapid progress' in developing combat uses for artificial intelligence-powered assistance for pilots and sailors following a five-day trial, the largest of its kind ever conducted. One of the main uses of AI in the field will be automatic detection of targets and assistance commanding military vehicles. The MoD has also said that using AI on the battlefield will also reduce 'cognitive load' for service men and women. Cognitive load refers to the multiple systems that, for example, a pilot needs to pay attention. A pilot in control of a plane is expected to fly, analyse potential threats and manage communication systems. The Government claims the AI-powered battlefield tech that was successfully tested will be able to do much of this, reducing the pilot's 'cognitive load'. The trial, which took place in early March in Portland Harbour, Dorset, involved relying on AI in several 'mission-based scenarios' and testing its effectiveness compared to human combatants. It raises the prospect of robotic combatants eventually replacing human roles in parts of the Armed Forces, though sources said the possibility was still 'a little way away'. The trial came under the remit of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partnership between Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. American and Australian military experts were also present during the practice missions, though no representatives from Canada or New Zealand attended. 'Operational advantage of AI' Maria Eagle, the defence minister, suggested that after the successful trial the new technology could soon be deployed 'on the front line'. Defence experts in government have also said the rollout of AI on the battlefield will give British forces 'operational advantage' and improve 'mission success'. AI and drone technology are expected to feature prominently in this year's Strategic Defence Review, which will set out equipment and manpower priorities for the Armed Forces. In November the Government warned that Britain was in an 'AI arms race' with Vladimir Putin's Russia. In a speech on defence Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said of AI 'as we develop this technology there's a danger it could be weaponised against us. Because our adversaries are also looking at how to use AI on the physical and cyber battlefield'. The Government recently announced that a fleet of AI-powered battlefield robots would be built in a new plant in south-west England. Ms Eagle said: 'We can all see how AI has the potential to impact our lives and enhance our war-fighting ability, and UK defence is embracing this leap forward in technology to better support our personnel on the front line. 'Significant trials like this, working with international and industry partners, demonstrate the rapid progress we're making to utilise new technology for keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad.' Dr Paul Hollinshead, the head of the MoD's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), said: 'This innovative trial represents a significant advancement in how we develop and test defence technologies. By bringing together multiple domains and partners, we're not just collecting data – we're creating the foundation for mission success and operational advantage that will protect our forces for decades to come.'
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Defence chiefs spent more than £200million of taxpayers' money on travel and luxury stays - while troops lived in squalid conditions
Defence chiefs spent more than £200 million of taxpayers' money on travel and luxury stays for senior staff last year while troops lived in squalid conditions. Figures released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) show that officers and civil servants stayed in five-star hotels often costing more than £300 a night. The MoD spent almost £800 million on hotels and travel between 2018 and 2024 at locations such as the French Alps and Las Vegas. In sharp contrast, the living conditions of troops in UK Armed Forces accommodation during the same period – some infested with vermin and harmful black mould – led to more than 60,000 complaints. Meanwhile freedom of information requests obtained by The Mail on Sunday and National Security News revealed a huge leap in costs from £136 million in 2018 to £218 million by 2024 covering hotel accommodation, flights and travel by train and ferry. The figures revealed numerous MoD personnel stayed in pricey hotels in central London including the Park Plaza and the Marriott – which can cost up to £400 a night. Outside of the UK a £1,426 bill was submitted for a four-night stay at the Auberge Saint Hubert Hotel Val D'Isere ski resort in France, a bill of £1,032 was also racked up at the Novotel Sydney Harbour for three nights and one staff member spent seven nights at the Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort which cost £2,439. And another staff member spent £323 for one night at the four-star Hampton Inn Tropicana in Las Vegas. Defending the costs, the MoD argued that more than 200,000 civil servants and military personnel are deployed overseas and often needed to be accommodated in hotels. One commanding officer of an infantry battalion based in Bulford told the MoS: 'I have soldiers living in really poor-quality housing who are constantly battling to get repairs. I have soldiers on sick leave living in homes which are barely habitable.' Callum McGoldrick, researcher at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Splashing hundreds of millions on hotels and flights raises questions about priorities in Whitehall. Ministers must get a grip on MoD spending.' A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'These figures relate to spend under the previous government. This Government is committed to getting a grip of MoD budgets.'
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Hackers taking control is biggest fear for self-driving cars
The public's primary concern over self-driving cars is that cyber hackers could commandeer the vehicles, new research suggests. Almost seven out of 10 motorists believe self-driving vehicles will be 'highly susceptible' to hackers. The survey comes after defence companies warned staff not to plug their smartphones into Chinese-made electric vehicles and the Ministry of Defence banned personnel from parking such cars within two miles of sensitive buildings. Fears are rife that hackers answering to the Chinese government could use secret flaws in electric vehicle software to gain access to secrets or to eavesdrop on conversations inside the vehicles. Yet those concerns may pale in comparison to a simpler and more direct fear: hackers taking control of cars away from motorists. In a survey of 2,000 British adults, American tech company Cisco Systems found that the public's greatest fear over future self-driving cars is that hackers could break into them. Seven in 10 motorists also believe that self-driving vehicles will be more dangerous than human-driven cars. Half think that self-driving vehicles on British roads could cause a rise in traffic accidents, even though the technology is already approved for public use in limited circumstances. Cisco also found that almost two-thirds, or 62 per cent, of drivers were worried about technology failures in self-driving cars. 'Trust and security are going to play a critical role in the future of self-driving vehicles. Automotive manufacturers must invest in appropriate network security architectures for connected vehicles to reinforce trust amongst users,' said Chintan Patel, Cisco's chief technology officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 'With the rise of connected self-driving vehicles comes huge volumes of data, software and telemetry requirements,' he continued. 'Every Application Programming Interface (API) and point of connection in a vehicle can serve as an attack surface for bad actors.' APIs are ways that computer programs expose internal data for further use. Smartphones that connect to a car's dashboard systems to control things such as music or the satnav do so through an API, for example. Cyber security researchers have gone to extensive lengths to break into modern cars' onboard computers, as a way of highlighting potential safety risks. One experiment in 2015 saw a Jeep Cherokee remotely turn off the vehicle's engine at 70mph, a flaw that the company acknowledged with a software update shortly afterwards. Two years ago the Government approved Ford's BlueCruise self-driving system, which is permitted to take control of cars on English, Welsh and Scottish motorways at speeds of up to 70mph - although a human driver must always be behind the wheel and ready to step in. The Government announced earlier this week that it had pushed the date for self-driving cars to be legal on British roads back to 2027.
