COLORADO — U.S. Transportation Command and U.S. Strategic Command are deploying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to accelerate planning for military routing and asset management. Both commands are using the technologies to enhance military decision-making cycles.
Air Force Gen. Randall Reed, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, and Navy Adm. Richard Correll, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, participated in a joint interview at a Sierra Nevada Corporation facility in Colorado. Reed said, "One important thing for us is weather and environmental factors, such as sea states. AI helps us to predict when we can accelerate a flow through a certain area, or when we may be slowed down, or when we may have to change a routing and that kind of thing." He added, "We are constantly discovering new areas and new ways to apply these tools, and in each case we are finding that we can get to solutions and get to meaningful conversations sooner - with better information - and, actually, it is making us stronger and much, much faster."
Reed explained, "By including AI, we can generate options for him faster and sooner for him to consider, such that he can accelerate the development of options for his scheme of maneuver." Strategic Command manages the U.S. nuclear arsenal and provides global surveillance and intelligence to support other military commands. Correll said, "Not to sound trite, but we are at an inflection point, and this technology is accelerating - and it is the mega-trend that underpins this discussion of the changing character of warfare." Correll stated, "And within Stratcom's portfolio, when you are talking about our strategic nuclear capabilities, we will be very deliberate about the technology we will employ and we will maintain a human-in-the-loop for decision-making."
Combatant commanders receive directives from the defense secretary to achieve specific outcomes during emerging conflicts. Correll outlined his approach: "Data advantage for decision advantage for warfighting advantage - that is how I think about it." Reed elaborated that Transportation Command's role involves assessing needs worldwide. He stated, "It is much more complicated than just providing an airplane, and it is much more complicated than a logistics node - it is really Transcom going back with its global perspective to assess what needs to happen around the entire world to make sure that we are set, and in some cases set ahead of Correll, in order for him to do his job."
No independent assessment of U.S. Transportation Command’s claims was available.