Continuing the conversation from Part 1, we now turn to the battlefield, where AI is reshaping how we deter and fight wars.
The battlefield in 2025 looks vastly different than just a decade ago. AI innovations that advance ISR and practically zero out hallucination rates have increased both the potential of AI and trust in its results. Today’s AI-enabled ISR innovations and defense technology advancements are already used in warfare to improve decision-making, targeting, and resource allocation, not to mention helping to identify threats, gather intelligence, and prepare for battle.
From battlefield intelligence to ISR innovations like TITAN, AI is enabling faster, smarter decisions. As we navigate AI’s Decisive Decade, and approach a pivotal shift in 2025, how will these innovations strengthen U.S. defense, enhance strategic deterrence, and help prevent future conflicts?
AI in Warfare: Lessons from Ukraine
The world is universally impressed with Ukraine’s resiliency in their war with Russia. One of their secrets is AI. While both players are leveraging AI, Ukraine has been especially agile in its use of:
- CJADC2: Ukraine has developed a situational awareness system called DELTA that resembles our Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control system. DELTA provides a practical and agile approach to battlefield management, supported by a comprehensive ecosystem of largely commercial software applications. As a result, the scale of military operations being conducted by Ukraine is unprecedented for a nation of its size.
- Drones: Ukraine has developed AI-enabled drones with multiple benefits. They are able to lock on to targets just prior to impact. This has helped neutralize Russian electronic warfare jamming technologies in the field. Now Ukraine is working on a new generation of drones that utilize AI not just at the final targeting stage, but throughout their flight.
- AI-assisted intelligence: Ukraine is using AI to analyze drone footage, satellite imagery, social media and other sources to identify targets, assess situations, make decisions, allocate resources, and guide military operations.
When it comes to speed and precision in warfare, Ukraine has amassed a significant advantage in AI-driven battlefield awareness, logistics and defense. Some even call the war between Ukraine and Russia as “The First AI War” due to Ukraine’s advancements and facility with the technology.
AI in Warfare: ISR Innovations and Defense Technology Advancements
From robots to drones, the United States is pursuing new technologies and infrastructure for AI-assisted warfare. Initiatives like the Army’s Project Linchpin are leading the way, looking for newer and more effective ways to incorporate AI and machine learning into defense.
One of those initiatives is TITAN, the Army’s Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node. TITAN is a next-generation ISR ground station, leveraging AI and ML to rapidly process sensor data received from space, high altitude, aerial and terrestrial layers. The program will collect and disseminate sensor data to improve targeting, situational awareness and understanding.
AI in Warfare: Accuracy with Verifiable Insights
One of the challenges in applying AI for decision-making is accuracy. AI has a trust issue—its results often appear credible even when they’re not. These errors, known as hallucinations, have been observed in up to 10% of responses from leading large language models, posing serious risks for mission-critical decisions.
In 2024, Primer addressed this challenge with RAG-Verification (RAG-V)—a system that brings structured validation and full traceability to the RAG process. Every output is broken up into individual claims which are grounded in original sources, enabling it to be cited, audited, and trusted. As AI adoption accelerates, trust and transparency will define readiness, and verification will be a critical enabler.
AI in Warfare: Redefining Modern Warfare
AI is redefining the battlefield in the Decisive Decade. What we’ve seen in Ukraine is the tip of the iceberg. With powers shifting and countries like China catching up to the US in AI development, the race is picking up pace in 2025.
