Month: June 2021

Categories
Drones

The Air Force Is Developing Bird-Like Microdrones with Flapping Wings | Military.com

According to a report, the US Air Force’s elite research lab is starting to work with Airion Health LLC to develop and test a mini air vehicle that can mimic insect or bird flight and can alter velocity even without the help of a high-powered computer. The microdrone could be used for military surveillance or observation over army facilities, as well as staking out objectives before people or other aircraft arrive on the ground. As the Pentagon prepares for a potential confrontation with a near-peer competitor, the latter objective has become a top priority.

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/06/17/air-force-developing-bird-microdrones-flapping-wings.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%206.17.21&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

Categories
Cyber Security

“Cyber disruption,” ransomware, and critical infrastructure: A new US understanding of “attack”? | Duke- Lawfire

If the US now recognizes a ransomware “cyber disruption” of “key infrastructure” to be a “strike” under international law, it would appear to be a game-changer in the US’ perspective of what types of cyber activities would provoke the freedom of self under UN Charter Article 51, which necessitates an “armed attack” by its text. To be clear, it looks that the US now considers a cyber-operation against US-defined “critical infrastructure” that causes considerable “disruption” to constitute an “attack.” A ransomware outbreak, despite the lack of direct loss of life or physical devastation, appears to be enough to qualify as a cyber-attack, at least when targeting critical infrastructure.

Source: https://sites.duke.edu/lawfire/2021/06/18/cyber-disruption-ransomware-and-critical-infrastructure-a-new-us-understanding-of-attack/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2006.22.21&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

Categories
Artificial Intelligence

Navigating a surprising pandemic side effect: AI whiplash | MIT Technology Review

Businesses used every resource at their fingertips, including AI, to solve difficulties and serve customers securely and efficiently as the pandemic wreaked havoc on the world last year. While some companies have had some success with AI, extending AI to the corporate level is more difficult. While each company will require its own strategy to rebound from AI whiplash and maximize its AI investment, a holistic strategy is required. Specifically, the plan should include a strategic investment in data, having the right talent, a long-term AI strategy guided by the business, employee upscaling, and a commitment to ethical and unbiased use of AI.

Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/06/21/1026580/navigating-a-surprising-pandemic-side-effect-ai-whiplash/

Categories
Space Force

Space Force seeks $832 million in classified spending, new missions and more in annual wish list | C4ISRNET

For its underfunded priority list, which is a yearly wish list of expenditure that each service gives legislators, the US Space Force requests Congress for $832 million more than its $17.4 billion budget request. Additional cash for dozens of initiatives, upgrades to Space Force installations, and $279 million in classified spending to “create a warfighting punch” are included in the proposal filed to Congress on June 3. Surprisingly, the wish list includes $113 million for the expansion of additional missions. This comprises $28 million for radiofrequency payloads for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Blackjack program, which aims to show the Pentagon the value of a wide constellation of networked satellites in low Earth orbit.

Source: https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2021/06/04/space-force-seeks-832-million-in-classified-spending-new-missions-and-more-in-annual-wishlist/

Categories
Robots

The Early Chronicles of Spot, the Robot Police Dog | Gov Tech

The use of drone technology by police enforcement in the United States has become a contentious subject, mainly in part to the development of drone technology within law police during the pandemic last year. Just over a month ago, a robot dog dubbed as Spot or “Digidog” became part of the surveillance discourse after the New York Police Department was criticized for using it. The NYPD had given up Spot, a Boston Dynamics robot, by the end of April. While it’s easy to conclude that the dog was “killed” because of public outcry, NYPD spokesman Edward D. Riley told Government Technology via email in late April that Spot “is not a surveillance tool” and was only being evaluated for a short period.

Source: https://www.govtech.com/public-safety/the-early-chronicles-of-spot-the-robot-police-dog