Navy Artificial Intelligence (AI) Supported Infrastructure

Melissa K. Dobson, Esq.

Sr. Strategic Advisor and Founder

The Navy, consistent with Pentagon directives, has initiated digital infrastructure transformation to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in contested environments. Several platforms will capitalize on the capabilities of both AI and machine learning within the sea service. Specifically, the technology impacts unmanned and small combatants at Naval Sea Systems Command. For autonomous operations, AI will be key for unmanned capabilities. As well, Condition-Based Maintenance Plus will benefit as one of the service’s new maintenance initiatives. Operationally, the capability will sort through a ship’s data and utilize predictive analytics to identify potential issues with systems and subsystems prior to having to address real-time problems at sea.

To successfully implement AI to the fullest, the sea service has integrated a robust digital infrastructure to house available data. Task Force Hopper, initiated in October 2021, focuses on the foundational elements of AI across the surface fleet. The strategic guidance of that AI will be developed out a decade to grow interconnected warfare algorithms to support network-centric operations and complex computing information systems. The systems will need to scale quickly, including the talent that will be needed to support the systems.

Challenges span across the navy technical enterprise architecture in addition to financial investment considerations. Foundational infrastructure to integrate and train AI models will also require supplemental tools implemented on an enterprise scale. In effect, the funding surge for AI projects overall continues to surge. In 2022, $874M was requested, up $33M from 2021. While investment returns are topics of discussion, the necessity of data integrated with future fleets grows as contentions rise with the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, and China at its foot heels in building resources in the South Pacific.