The advancements in military technology within China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have taken an unprecedented leap forward with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems in warfare. This strategic shift aims to significantly enhance China’s battlefield capabilities through a comprehensive approach known as intelligentized warfare. At the heart of this strategy are the synergistic applications of AI, big data, cloud computing, and unmanned systems, collectively orchestrating an impressive military edge.
The Rise of Intelligent Precision Strike Systems
Automation and Real-Time Data Processing
One of the most prominent aspects of China’s recent military advancements includes a strong focus on automation and real-time data processing. The Intelligent Precision Strike System, an innovation by the Chinese defense company Norinco, epitomizes this approach. This cutting-edge system was prominently featured during a recent People’s Liberation Army exercise, highlighting its capabilities in utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and processing real-time data to simulate authentic battlefield conditions. The system showcases an ability to track targets, develop and disseminate strike plans, and execute subsequent strikes with minimal human intervention.
The Intelligent Precision Strike System’s reliance on real-time data processing serves as a microcosm of the PLA’s broader intentions to dominate future battlegrounds through advanced technology. By seamlessly integrating human oversight with machine execution, the PLA epitomizes a future where command structures and operational tactics are profoundly transformed by autonomous systems. This automation facilitates quicker response times and higher efficiency, setting a new standard for modern warfare dynamics.
Near-Autonomous Warfare
The near-autonomous nature of the Intelligent Precision Strike System signifies a broader shift within the PLA towards minimizing human involvement in direct combat scenarios. This movement is not just about reducing the physical risks to soldiers but also about leveraging technology to achieve swifter and more precise actions on the battlefield. By integrating advanced machine learning algorithms and AI-driven decision-making processes, the PLA can execute complex operations with remarkable speed and accuracy, something that traditional human-driven methods may find challenging.
This approach also fosters a new form of military doctrine, where human commanders provide strategic oversight while autonomous systems handle the tactical execution. The implication for future conflicts is profound. The PLA’s significant investment in these technologies not only enhances operational capabilities but also signals a fundamental change in how wars might be fought, prioritizing technological prowess and automated precision over sheer manpower and traditional tactics.
Building the Network Information System
Leveraging AI and Big Data
Another critical development within the PLA’s strategy is the creation of a “network information system,” spearheaded by the nascent PLA Information Support Force. This advanced system leverages AI, big data, and cloud computing techniques to compile and analyze extensive datasets from a multitude of operational units. The objective is to establish “dynamic kill networks” that enhance the precision and effectiveness of military operations across diverse domains, including land, sea, air, and cyberspace.
The integration of such technologies enables the PLA to process vast amounts of information rapidly, providing real-time insights that are crucial for decision-making on the battlefield. This capability not only enhances situational awareness but also allows for more agile and adaptive operational strategies. The dynamic kill networks concept underscores the importance of speed and accuracy in modern warfare, acknowledging that timely and precise information can be the deciding factor in achieving supremacy.
Achieving Battlefield Supremacy
Intelligentized warfare, as advocated by the PLA, envisions a seamless combination of real-time battlefield awareness, precision strikes, and sophisticated psychological operations. The network information system is pivotal to this vision. PLA commentators consistently highlight the critical necessity of such integration, stressing that the ability to gather, process, and act upon data in real-time is indispensable for modern military superiority. This consensus among military analysts reflects a broader understanding of the future of warfare, where information dominance is as critical as physical firepower.
The network information system not only aims to enhance traditional combat operations but also to build a robust infrastructure for psychological warfare. By utilizing real-time data, the PLA can craft precise narratives and influence enemy perceptions, thereby gaining an upper hand without resorting to conventional weapons. This dual approach of kinetic and non-kinetic operations unifies the technological advancements under a coherent strategy aimed at comprehensive battlefield dominance.
AI in Military Intelligence and Decision-Making
Enhancing Planning and Decision-Making
Beyond operational efficiency, the PLA’s strategic integration of AI extends to military intelligence, planning, and decision-making processes. The “Aiwu LLM+” system, a development by the People’s Armed Police Engineering University, epitomizes this initiative. This sophisticated system integrates large language models (LLMs), multimodal big-data analysis, and virtual assistant interfaces to provide advanced capabilities within command information systems. The Aiwu LLM+ system is designed to offer intelligent interaction and efficient task planning, thereby enhancing the overall command activities’ effectiveness.
By incorporating AI into these critical areas, the PLA aims to streamline and enhance its decision-making processes. The AI-powered system can analyze vast amounts of data from multiple sources, offering commanders timely and relevant insights. This capability is particularly crucial during rapidly evolving military operations where the speed and accuracy of decisions can significantly alter outcomes. The PLA’s commitment to leveraging AI for strategic advantages is evident in these investments.
Accelerating Command Decisions
The integration of AI with multi-source intelligence systems is another key aspect of the PLA’s approach to enhancing command decision-making. By providing commanders with timely and accurate insights, AI systems facilitate faster and better-quality decisions during operations. This acceleration is vital in the context of modern warfare, where the ability to quickly adapt to changing scenarios can determine success or failure.
These advancements underscore the PLA’s focus on achieving a strategic upper hand through technology. By harnessing the power of AI, the PLA can not only enhance its operational capabilities but also ensure that its commanders are equipped with the best possible tools for making informed decisions. This dual benefit of operational efficiency and improved decision-making is a testament to the significant role AI is set to play in the future of military strategy.
Cognitive Warfare and Psychological Operations
Manipulating Perceptions
The development and application of AI within the PLA extend into the realm of cognitive warfare, an area deemed crucial for achieving victory by manipulating adversary perceptions and decision-making. Major General Zeng Haiqing has emphasized the importance of this approach, which does not necessarily involve physical combat but instead focuses on altering enemy perceptions and weakening their resolve. This form of warfare involves the strategic use of AI to create and disseminate disinformation and conduct psychological operations tailored to deceive and demoralize the adversary.
By leveraging AI, the PLA can develop adaptive strategies that respond to the real-time psychological state of their opponents. This capability allows for the creation of highly targeted disinformation campaigns designed to exploit specific vulnerabilities. The aim is to influence the enemy’s decision-making processes, leading them to make errors or become hesitant, thereby disrupting their operational effectiveness without direct confrontation.
Real-Time Narrative Crafting
Advanced language models are central to the PLA’s cognitive warfare strategy, playing a significant role in crafting real-time narratives that can influence adversarial perceptions. These sophisticated models can generate highly convincing and contextually relevant content designed to sow discord and reduce morale among enemy forces. The ability to create such narratives rapidly and adaptively is a powerful tool in modern conflict, where the lines between physical and psychological warfare are increasingly blurred.
This aspect of intelligentized warfare highlights the PLA’s innovative approach to weakening adversaries through non-physical means. By using AI to craft and distribute psychological operations, the PLA can achieve strategic objectives while minimizing physical engagement. This dual application of technology — both in direct combat and psychological operations — underscores the comprehensive nature of China’s approach to modern warfare, blending traditional and contemporary tactics to maintain a strategic edge.
Integrating Military-Civil Fusion
Harnessing Civilian AI Developments
China’s military-civil fusion strategy is a cornerstone supporting the PLA’s advancements in intelligentized warfare. This strategy ensures that civilian advancements in AI and other technologies are effectively harnessed for military purposes, resulting in more sophisticated and capable systems. A prime example of this is Norinco’s recent exhibition at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, where they showcased ten new combat systems, including the Intelligent Precision Strike System and the AI-Enabled Synthetic Brigade.
These new systems demonstrate the seamless integration of cutting-edge AI technologies with traditional military hardware. The military-civil fusion strategy allows for a more agile and innovative development process, where breakthroughs in civilian tech can be quickly adapted for military use. This approach not only speeds up the development cycle but also ensures that the PLA can leverage the best and latest technology available.
Comprehensive Battlefield Digitization
The PLA’s objective of achieving comprehensive battlefield digitization is further exemplified by the integration of next-generation armored vehicles, swarming drones, loitering munitions, and electronic warfare tools. These advancements aim to enhance operational efficacy and ensure that all aspects of the battlefield are digitally interconnected. Companies like U-Tenet significantly contribute to these capabilities, emphasizing the broader industry’s role in supporting military advancements.
U-Tenet’s developments, such as the cloud-based Tianji “decision-making brain” and the Tianwang real-time intelligence repository, highlight the essential contributions of smaller tech firms. These systems are designed to support strategic planning and integrate multi-source data, enhancing the PLA’s ability to conduct complex operations with higher precision and effectiveness. The integration of such systems marks a significant step towards fully digitized and intelligentized warfare, where every element of the battlefield is interconnected and optimized for peak efficiency.
Real-World Validation and Challenges
Ensuring Reliability
The success of the PLA’s AI and big-data initiatives hinges on the validation and refinement of these technologies in real-world conditions. Ensuring reliability in complex and unpredictable scenarios presents a significant challenge. AI systems must be thoroughly tested and validated to function correctly under various contingencies. Effective integration into a centralized control structure is also critical, ensuring that all components of the intelligentized warfare framework operate harmoniously.
Real-world validation is essential to identifying and addressing potential flaws in these systems, thereby enhancing their robustness and dependability. This iterative process of testing and refinement is crucial for achieving operational readiness and reliability. The PLA’s commitment to thoroughly vetting these technologies underscores the importance of ensuring that they are not only innovative but also effective and reliable in actual combat situations.
Redefining Modern Warfare
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has made unprecedented strides in military technology by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems into its arsenal. This strategic move is designed to significantly enhance China’s battlefield capabilities through a method called intelligentized warfare. Central to this strategy are the combined applications of AI, big data, cloud computing, and unmanned systems, which ensure a highly effective military advantage. These technologies work together to provide PLA commanders with advanced decision-making tools and more accurate, real-time data, giving them a tactical edge.
This transformation not only changes the nature of combat but also highlights China’s commitment to becoming a dominant military force in the 21st century. By employing intelligentized warfare, the PLA aims to optimize its operational efficiency, minimize human error, and maximize threat response. As a result, China is poised to challenge traditional military powers, reshaping the future of global military balance through these innovative, tech-driven advances.
