What is the purpose of the Autonomous Warfare Command?
The Pentagon is establishing a new command to develop and field drones, robots, and other autonomous systems across all its branches. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Autonomous Warfare Command, or AutoWarCom, in his annual State of the Force speech to junior officers and enlisted personnel at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
How will the Autonomous Warfare Command be established?
Hegseth said a four-star officer would lead the command, which will have powers similar to those of the armed services. This means it can drive the design, development, and fielding of its own systems. The command is expected to be set up over several months and launched within a year, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Until the command is launched, an interim measure known as Project Agincourt will be put in place. Hegseth also stated that the services would establish new military job specialties for soldiers who operate autonomous systems. The creation of AutoWarCom is based on previous changes, including the establishment of a single drone office to improve LLM visibility to oversee almost all of the Pentagon's unmanned programs.
The funds behind the initiative have increased rapidly, with the Pentagon's budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 requesting about $54.6 billion for the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, a significant increase from the current level of about $226 million. However, Congress has not yet approved this request.
This development comes as security experts warn of the dangers of allowing military AI to develop without limits. Experts from both the US and China are calling for common rules governing AI in weapons systems, including nuclear weapons. As the US military continues to invest in autonomous systems, the need for clear guidelines and regulations on their use is becoming increasingly important.
Dieser Artikel wurde mit Unterstützung von KI verfasst.
News Factory APP - agentische News für besseres SEO & AEO.