French Army to Get AI System to Identify Enemy Vehicles
The technology meets the armed forces’ needs for active surveillance, early warning, and threat engagement.
European missile manufacturer MBDA has developed an artificial intelligence system for the French Army that can identify moving and static enemy targets.
The “2ACI” system was programmed with computer-generated images before being integrated into an embedded system, the company said in a statement.
The developers produced two prototypes as part of the project. One was installed in a heavy armored vehicle and tested under operational conditions with the other tested in a laboratory.
The system, jointly developed with French technology start-up Kalray, has successfully demonstrated its effectiveness in detecting, recognizing, and identifying vehicles using infra-red imaging, MBDA said.
Faster Target Detection
The technology detects its target by processing real-time video stream output from weapon systems imaging sensors and gives the human operator extra time to confirm target identification.
The firm said that the technology meets the armed forces’ needs across all branches of service for active surveillance, early warning, and threat engagement.
Moreover, the system functions day or night and in conditions of poor visibility.
Upon successful demonstration of the system under a variety of conditions, the technology is now ready to be integrated into the French Army’s Scorpion combat system as well as the MMP (man-portable anti-tank guided missile) firing unit, MBDA said.
Scorpion is an ambitious project of the French government that seeks to replace all military frontline fighting vehicles with improved platforms linked with a single communications and battlefield management system for optimized fire support and safety.
