What is Defense AI?
Let’s explore how AI is reshaping the battlefield – from drone swarms and cyber defense to logistics, training, and the race for cognitive security
From the editor: I asked my friend, Dr. Larysa Visengeriyeva, partner at European Defense Tech Hub and co-founder of Women in Defense Tech, to write an article about how AI is used in defense tech. We often talk about AI as a technology, but it’s just as important to show how it’s actually being used. And what could be more tangible – and unsettling – than its military applications?
“Our hesitation to move forward with the military application of artificial intelligence will be punished.”
"The Technological Republic" by A. Karp and N.W. Zamiska
Introduction
Artificial intelligence is reshaping modern defense. Think autonomous vehicles in land, sea, and air; sensor fusion that stitches a live map from terabytes of raw data; logistics routes planned on the fly; war-game trainers that learn from every drill; and cyber systems that catch intrusions before they spark. Together, these AI layers compress decision cycles, sharpen situational awareness, and boost operational efficiency – that’s Defense AI. The ongoing war in Ukraine has accelerated these developments, turning the country into a testing ground for cutting-edge military AI. Ukrainian officials have actively partnered with Western tech firms to make Ukraine “the world’s tech R&D lab” for defense, deploying experimental AI solutions on the battlefield in ways that NATO countries are only beginning to explore [2]. At the same time, NATO and its allies have recognized AI as critical to future security. In 2021, the Alliance adopted its first AI strategy, followed by a revised one in 2024, which set priorities for responsible use, interoperability of AI systems, and combining AI with other emerging technologies [5].
In this article, we will focus on five key defense tech domains:
Autonomous drones and multi-agent systems
Battlefield decision-making and situational awareness
Logistics and maintenance
Training and cognitive readiness
Cybersecurity
We will highlight both deployed solutions and ongoing R&D by showing Ukraine’s wartime innovations and NATO’s initiatives.
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Autonomous Drones and Multi-Agent Systems
Autonomous drones and multi-agent “swarm” systems are at the forefront of AI in defense. Militaries are increasingly exploring coordinated swarms of unmanned aerial and naval vehicles for reconnaissance, targeting, and strike missions with minimal operator input.
In theory, networked swarms act as force multipliers – covering wide areas or saturating defenses in ways a single UAV cannot. The U.S. and its allies have tested swarming for over a decade, but true operational swarms remain in development due to technical hurdles [6]. Defense firms like Anduril Industries have showcased AI-enabled drone swarms that can be launched from land, sea, or air and coordinate ISR or strike operations with limited oversight. These drones maintain formation, avoid collisions, and divide tasks using onboard AI. NATO strategists see interoperable swarms as a cost-effective way to project force across allied forces without relying on billion-dollar manned systems. In early 2025, Sweden unveiled a swarm of 10 quadcopters that provided live battlefield feeds to troops – essentially acting as “flying eyes and ears.” A single operator commands the swarm via tablet, while an AI handles coordination and tasking.
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