A NASA “scramjet” hypersonic missile. (Source: DARPA)

Russians, NATO to Employ AI for Hypersonic Missile Design, Other Weapons

The war in Ukraine is touching nearly every part of the modern world. The effects include shortages of wheat in the coming year if the conflict doesn’t stop. The reports lately claim Russia is increasing the use of its long-distance artillery and missiles against major Ukrainian cities. NATO could help protect Ukraine by using smart missiles being designed by AI.

The latest hypersonic missiles are reportedly so complex they require a computer to build them, and NASA has created an AI to do just that. Hypersonic missiles travel at over Mach 5 (3,836mph), meaning they can strike anywhere on the planet within an hour of being launched. These devastating weapons can carry nukes and avoid almost all missile defense systems as they cannot react fast enough, all while operating with a high level of precision.

But due to the large amount of power and fuel required to reach these high speeds, their application has so far been limited by relying on using rockets. However, writes tech writer Will Lockett, an alternative option is a “scramjet.”

Scramjet stands for supersonic combustion ramjet and works the same as a jet on a plane, but with no moving parts. There are several ways to deliver these powerful warheads.

From an article found at the dailyexpress.com there comes word that the more losses the Russians suffer in the ground war, the more threats Putin is making to NATO and the world in general. After all, the use of a nuclear weapon would cross a line. To create these missiles, NASA has created an AI to design them, to account for the immense complexity required in doing so.

Mr. Lockett adds that the AI “could design a hypersonic missile that is far faster and with greater range than any other in the world, sending the US to the forefront of this military arms race.”

These missiles are launched into space from a jet, before orbiting the Earth and striking precision spots within minutes. The UK recently announced it will join forces with the U.S. and Australia to build the missiles and stay ahead of China and Russia.

Russia Levels Cities with New Weapons

News platforms have brought us images of the destruction in Ukraine for the last six weeks. Many of the large apartment buildings and industrial sites have been hit by a newer type of missile launched from Russia.

In March, the Kremlin said it launched a hypersonic missile called “the Sizzler” at Ukraine to destroy an underground ammunition depot.

The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile is allegedly capable of reaching Mach 10 speeds (7672 mph) and distances up to 1,700 miles. It can also theoretically carry a nuclear warhead. Russia’s Defense Ministry also said that Kalibr cruise missiles, capable of traveling at up to five times the speed of sound, have been launched at Ukrainian military infrastructure from ships in the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea.

AI is already in use on the battlefields of the world. It should be no surprise that AI is being brought in to design new weapons. But it is truly a frightening possibility that AI will fight wars in the future.

read more at express.co.uk