Latest news with #warfare
The Verge
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Here's your first look at Battlefield 6
It's been a long time coming, but EA is finally ready to show off the next Battlefield. The new game, dubbed Battlefield 6, takes place during some kind of wide-ranging war; the debut trailer opens with a presidential address punctuated by explosions and destruction that seem to be happening all over the world. There's not much in the way of gameplay in the trailer, but it looks like Battlefield 6 will focus heavily on spectacle and set-pieces. A reveal of the game's multiplayer is coming on July 31st where we'll presumably be able to see more of it in action. Here's the official description from EA: The trailer offers a first look at Pax Armata, a Private Military Corporation bankrolled by former NATO states whose agenda threatens to throw the world into global conflict. This sets the scene for what players can expect on the battlefield — both in multiplayer and the return of the series' single player campaign. In Battlefield 6, the series' incredible blend of visceral combat, epic warfare, and player freedom returns. Blow through walls and bring down buildings for a tactical advantage or take to the skies in white-knuckle dogfights. Take part in a war filled with tanks, fighter jets, and sweeping combat at a grand scale but remember: the deadliest weapon is your squad. It's not clear yet when the game will launch, nor on what platforms, thought leaks have pointed to an October debut on current-gen consoles and PC. Battlefield 6 is also a massive production, being developed by four different studios under the banner 'Battlefield Studios.' They include original developer DICE; Burnout and Need for Speed studio Criterion; EA Motive, the team behind the Dead Space remake; and a relatively new team known as Ripple Effect. It's a major moment for EA, particularly after the most recent game in the series — 2021's Battlefield 2042 — 'did not meet expectations,' according to the company. Battlefield 6 will be entering a market that is no less competitive, going up against annual Call of Duty releases, including this year's Black Ops 7, and entrenched live-service shooters like Fortnite. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Andrew Webster Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Trailers
The Sun
5 hours ago
- Science
- The Sun
Meet the battle-ready cyborg cockroaches that humans can control for SPY missions
FIRST there were spy bees, now there are battle-ready cockroaches. Technology is changing, and therefore, so is warfare. 3 3 It might feel plucked out of science fiction, but German military tech company SWARM Biotactics is working on cyborg cockroaches that can spy behind enemy lines. The insects - hailed for being remarkably durable - are equipped with miniature backpacks fitted with cameras and other tools to gather data on enemies in real time. Human operators will be able to control them by zapping their tiny brains with electrical pulses. Each zap allows humans to control the insects' movements remotely, meaning they don't have to enter hostile environments themselves in order to gather information. "Our bio-robots - based on living insects - are equipped with neural stimulation, sensors, and secure communication modules," Swarm Biotactic's CEO Stefan Wilhelm told Reuters. "They can be steered individually or operate autonomously in swarms." For example, a human-controlled spy cockroach could go on secret spy missions to expose information about enemy positions. The bio-robotic startup secured €10 million in seed funding last month that will help get its bugs onto the battlefield. "Conventional systems fail where control is needed most - denied zones, collapsed infrastructure, politically complex terrain," said Wilhelm. "SWARM is the first company building an entirely new category of robotics: biologically integrated, AI-enabled, and mass-deployable systems for persistent intelligence in places no drone or ground robot can reach. Watch terrifying 'terminator' robot dogs with AI-targeted rifles being tested by US Marines "This funding moves us from deep tech to deployment - delivering the infrastructure democracies need to operate more smartly, more safely, and with total tactical awareness.' But SWARM aren't the only ones trying to bio-hack insects. A team of scientists in China claimed they have created the world's lightest mind control device for bees. While the device is strapped to a bee's back, three needles are pierced into the bee's brain. Operators can then send electronic pulses into the bee's brain and command it to fly in whichever direction they want. During tests, published in the Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering earlier this month, the bees obeyed their operator's commands with 90 per cent accuracy. Beyond warfare, mind-controlled bugs could be used to help disaster relief operations. UKRAINE WAR SHIFT Wilhelm believes Europe is entering a decade where "access, autonomy, and resilience define geopolitical advantage". And Russia's invasion of Ukraine seemed to spark that shift, dozens of sources from across business, investment and government told Reuters. Sven Weizenegger, who heads up the Cyber Innovation Hub - the tech accelerator for the German armed forces, said the war in Ukraine removed a stigma towards working in the defence sector. "Germany has developed a whole new openness towards the issue of security since the invasion," he told the outlet. The country has been shaped by the trauma of Nazi militarism and a strong post-war pacifist ethos that has been reflected in its relatively small and cautious defence sector, Reuters noted. But Germany plans to nearly triple its regular defence budget to around €162 billion ($175 billion) per year by 2029. Much of that money will go into reinventing the nature of warfare, Reuters reported, citing sources. Sources also claimed that Chancellor Friedrich Merz sees artificial intelligence (AI) and start-up technology as key to its defence plans. The German leader is reportedly slashing red tape to connect startups directly to its military. 3
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Former First Minister Humza Yousaf claims Israel is starving wife's family in Gaza
The former first minister of Scotland has claimed Israel is starving his wife's family in Gaza. Humza Yousaf and his wife Nadia El-Nakla said her cousin Sally, her four children and husband were being deliberately and forcefully starved by the Israeli government. Ms El-Nakla, an SNP councillor in Dundee, said her aunt Hanan and her children and grandchildren, including a seven-month-old baby, were also being starved. She said the town of Deir Al Balah, where her family live, was 'hit hard' by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). Posting a video alongside her husband on social media, she said: 'Starving people were being forced to run while being shot and bombed.' Mr Yousaf added: 'Sally is one of millions in Gaza. 'Her husband goes out all day searching for food, often to come home with nothing. 'And when I say home, I mean a tent and almost 40 degree heat.' He said that doctors in Gaza were becoming 'too weak to treat patients' while journalists were becoming 'too weak to report the silent killer of starvation'. Ms El-Nakla added: 'This is a deliberate starvation of the Palestinian people. 'Food and water are a mere kilometres away. 'This form of warfare is sickening and the stories and images from my family and millions of others in Gaza are absolutely gut-wrenching. 'Can you imagine not being able to feed your children yet knowing the food you so desperately need is only a few miles away?' Former SNP leader Mr Yousaf urged world leaders to take action to force Israel to allow more aid into Gaza. More than 100 aid agencies have warned that 'mass starvation' is spreading across Gaza as Israel is accused of not allowing enough food, and other supplies, into the area. The health ministry said 10 people have died from malnutrition in the last 24 hours. The UK was among 28 nations that accused Israel of the 'drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians' seeking food and water. Mr Yousaf's inlaws, Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla, were trapped in Gaza for four weeks after visiting family when the war broke out after Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel. They later left through Egypt with other British nationals, although Mr Yousaf said his father-in-law had become a 'shell of a man' following their 'traumatic' month in the Middle-East. The UK Government and the Israeli embassy in London have been approached for comment.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Humza Yousaf: Israel is starving my wife's family
The former first minister of Scotland has said Israel is starving his wife's family in Gaza. Humza Yousaf and his wife Nadia El-Nakla said her cousin Sally, her four children and husband were being deliberately and forcefully starved by the Israeli government. Ms El-Nakla, an SNP councillor in Dundee, said her aunt Hanan, her children and grandchildren, including a seven-month-old baby, were also being starved. She said the town of Deir Al Balah, where her family live, was 'hit hard' by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). 'Starving people were being forced to run while being shot and bombed,' she said in a video alongside her husband on social media. Mr Yousaf said children in Gaza were being 'starved, displaced, bombed, all while the world watches'. The former SNP leader said: 'Sally is one of millions in Gaza. 'Her husband goes out all day searching for food, often to come home with nothing. 'And when I say home, I mean a tent and almost 40 degree heat.' He said that doctors in Gaza were becoming 'too weak to treat patients' while journalists were becoming 'too weak to report the silent killer of starvation'. 'This is a deliberate starvation of the Palestinian people,' Ms El-Nakla added. 'Food and water are a mere kilometres away. 'This form of warfare is sickening and the stories and images from my family and millions of others in Gaza are absolutely gut-wrenching. 'Can you imagine not being able to feed your children yet knowing the food you so desperately need is only a few miles away?' She went on: 'Sally's life matters, Palestinian lives matter, and I am begging those who have the power to open the borders to do so now and let the people of Gaza live.' Mr Yousaf urged world leaders to take action to force Israel to allow more aid into Gaza. He said: 'Fathers like me, parents like us, children like ours, being starved, displaced, bombed, all while the world watches. 'Governments might stay silent, they may refuse to act, but we won't.' Writing on X, he added: 'Words are not enough. Governments must act and force Israel to open the borders and allow aid to flow in.' More than 100 aid agencies have warned that 'mass starvation' is spreading across Gaza as Israel is accused of not allowing enough food, and other supplies, into the area. The health ministry said 10 people have died from malnutrition in the last 24 hours. The UK was among 28 nations that accused Israel of the 'drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians' seeking food and water. The Palestinian health ministry said earlier this week that 100 Palestinians had been killed by the IDF while waiting for food over the weekend. Israel said on Tuesday that 950 lorries worth of aid were waiting in Gaza for international organisations to distribute. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas, the proscribed terrorist group which controls Gaza, of stealing the food for itself. Mr Yousaf previously described the situation in Gaza as 'hell on Earth'. Ms El-Nakla's parents, Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla, had been trapped in the enclave for four weeks after visiting family when the war broke out after Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel. They later left through Egypt with other British nationals, although Mr Yousaf said his father-in-law had become a 'shell of a man' following their 'traumatic' month in Gaza. The UK Government and the Israeli embassy in London have been approached for comment.
Fox News
a day ago
- Business
- Fox News
AI arms race: US and China weaponize drones, code and biotech for the next great war
From drone swarms to gene-edited soldiers, the United States and China are racing to integrate artificial intelligence into nearly every facet of their war machines — and a potential conflict over Taiwan may be the world's first real test of who holds the technological edge. For millennia, victory in war was determined by manpower, firepower and the grit of battlefield commanders. However, in this ongoing technological revolution, algorithms and autonomy may matter more than conventional arms. "War will come down to who has the best AI," said Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and defense investor, in an interview with Fox News Digital. U.S. planners now consider Taiwan the likely locus of a 21st-century great power conflict. Though America doesn't formally ally with Taiwan, it has steadily armed the island and shifted its forces to focus on the Indo-Pacific. The Pentagon is responding with urgency, and nowhere is that transformation more visible than in the U.S. Army's sweeping AI overhaul. Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's leadership, the Army has launched a $36 billion modernization initiative aimed directly at countering China in the Indo-Pacific. By 2026, each of its 10 active combat divisions will be equipped with roughly 1,000 drones, dramatically shifting the battlefield from crewed helicopters to autonomous systems. Army leaders highlight that legacy weapons and bureaucratic lag are incompatible with future warfare. The new push includes AI-assisted command-and-control, real-world testing under challenging conditions in places like the Philippines and a rapid feedback model to keep doctrine updated. Beyond hardware, AI may prove most powerful in prevention. Bellini believes U.S. cyber espionage, combined with AI, could strike preemptively. "The United States is the very best at cyber espionage and cyber warfare… once you combine [that] with AI, you can stop a war before it even happens." This could involve infiltrating Chinese naval systems via cyber-AI tools and neutralizing threats before ships ever set sail. AI isn't just about machines — it's changing biology too. The U.S. military is exploring AI-driven trauma care, synthetic blood and regenerative medicine to save lives. However, China may be pushing the envelope further. "China has been one of the more forward-leaning countries in using biotech within its military," defense strategist Jack Burnham said. "In military hospitals, there is significant research on gene editing … some of this might be dual-use." Reports from intelligence chiefs and former DNI John Ratcliffe suggest China may be experimenting with gene-edited soldiers, raising alarms about the ethical gray zone of AI-biotech integration. "The future of warfare is not going to be with people," Bellini predicted. "It's going to be robots. It's going to be drones. And it's the synchronization." Tesla is developing its "Optimus" robot, he noted, complete with an AI-optimized "brain" to complete chores that are "dangerous, repetitive and boring" in warehouses, homes and even hazardous facilities like nuclear plants. CEO Elon Musk has spoken out against using Optimus as a "killer robot," but still, foreign adversaries worry about the potential for dual use. China has imposed export restrictions on the rare-earth magnets needed for Optimus actuators, specifically requesting assurances that the units won't be used for military purposes. U.S. forces are already simulating this future in AI-enhanced war games. Through these exercises, commanders learn to operate at AI pace — modeling logistics, battlefield flows, and adversaries at an unprecedented scale. "AI is really good at modeling logistics… visualizing and integrating vast quantities of data… [creating] a more immersive experience at a much larger scale," Burnham said. "These AI opponents are like intelligent enemies you're playing against in a war game," explained Dr. Randall Hill, executive director of the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies. "It's important to train not just with AI but also about AI — so soldiers understand where to trust it and where its limits are." Hill's team is developing tools like PAL3, a personalized AI teaching assistant for military trainees that adapts to individual learning speeds. "It's about helping both humans and machines understand each other's strengths and weaknesses," he said. The U.S. insists on a "human-in-the-loop" for lethal AI decisions — but China may not, experts warn. "Here in the U.S., we are focused on ethical and legal decisions on the battlefield… our adversaries… might not be as worried about keeping a human in the loop," said RJ Blake, a former defense official. Hill echoed this concern, emphasizing the need for AI systems to be interpretable and stress-tested rigorously. "We need protocols aligned with American values," he said. "The AI must be explainable and capable of justifying its conclusions — and humans must recognize when those systems are outside their trained boundaries." As AI redefines warfare — from cyber and command systems to autonomous weapons and biotech — it's not just a war machine being built. It's a system of systems, blending digital, physical and biological domains. Should Beijing move against Taiwan, the battlefield may no longer be measured in tanks or missiles — but in algorithms, networks and gene sequences.
