Chinese military unveils AI system to plan and coordinate mass air strikes

The Chinese military has unveiled an AI-powered system designed to plan and coordinate mass air strikes involving more than 100 units, according to a state television documentary. This "intelligent strike planning system" prioritizes targets, coordinates attack waves, and assigns tasks to units, all of which have been utilized multiple times.

The development of this technology underscores Beijing's commitment to integrating emerging technology into the People's Liberation Army's operations and supports the notion of "system-of-systems" warfare, where multiple platforms and weapons systems are combined.

Led by Senior Colonel Deng Jianping, the system was developed to facilitate training exercises featuring larger formations and various aircraft types. As Deng explained in a CCTV documentary series, the hardest part of creating the system was not coding or model-building but understanding battlefield logic, including targets, firepower, penetration, and damage assessment. He emphasized that a minor flaw in the logic could determine the outcome of a strike.

The documentary included footage from a systems test, showcasing missiles launched from different platforms striking targets on land and at sea. A senior PLA commander stated that software-defined equipment, operations, and the battlefield are crucial aspects of the system. On Thursday, President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to strengthen the military application of unmanned intelligent technologies and develop an intelligent military system during a Politburo study session.

While the United States is also developing AI support systems for the military, such as Project Maven, which focuses on battlefield situational awareness and intelligence analysis, the Chinese system places more emphasis on supporting large-scale operations with human pilots. AI could potentially enhance strike precision and prevent resource waste by calculating battlefield developments in real-time, assigning appropriate targets to various weapons, and determining when munitions should be used.