Indian Strategic Studies: 09/19/24

19 September 2024

Oil for India

Raymond E. Vickery Jr. and Tom Cutler

On a day in July when NATO leaders, joined by leaders from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, were meeting in Washington to devise new measures to stop Russia’s takeover of Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government he represents were embracing President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and the Russia he controls. And then, just over a month after Modi was in Moscow embracing Putin, he was in Kiev shaking hands with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. More importantly, in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Modi and Zelensky were pledging their “cooperation in upholding principles of international law, including the UN Charter, such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.”[1]

In some ways, Modi’s visit to Ukraine on August 23 was an attempt to balance criticism from the United States and its allies of his July 8 bear hug of Putin. However, it was more than a balancing act. Modi’s visit to Ukraine (and neighboring Poland) was certainly a far cry from Indian minister of external affairs S. Jaishankar’s defense of India’s nonaction in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when he said in June 2022 at the GLOBSEC security forum in Bratislava, Slovakia, “Europe has to grow out of the mindset that its problems are the world’s problems.”[2]

India has now implicitly acknowledged that respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is a problem for India as it is for the rest of the world. This is a welcome development and a development necessary if India is to become a world security leader and not primarily a regional actor focused on its disputes with its neighbors. However, in the face of Russia’s flouting of the basic international principles that India holds dear, namely nonaggression and anti-imperialism, India has yet to take any action that might affect its “special and privileged strategic partnership” with Russia.

The West’s Stealthy Assault on Democracy

BRAHMA CHELLANEY

With great-power rivalries again at the center of international relations, democratic governments have been relying on secret statecraft to shape or sway regimes in weaker states, including by supporting or aiding regime change. Far from advancing democracy globally, these efforts are exacerbating its vulnerabilities at a time when authoritarianism is on the rise.

To be sure, local militaries – with or without external backing – remain the leading drivers of regime change. In Pakistan, for example, the military reasserted its traditional dominance over government in 2022, when it engineered the ouster of Prime Minister Imran Khan. In Bangladesh, the military recently took advantage of a violent student-led uprising to compel Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country, before installing an interim civilian-led administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

But external powers also often play a key role in driving regime change. Yes, the mechanisms remain murky. Since strategic skullduggery rarely leaves any political fingerprints, intervening powers can plausibly deny involvement, leaving independent analysts struggling to distinguish fact from fiction.

Which Countries Challenge China’s Claim to the Taiwan Strait?

Joe Keary

Spiegel magazine has reported that two German warships are set to sail through the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks, becoming the first German naval vessels to do so in 22 years. Germany will join a growing number of Indo-Pacific and European nations that regularly sail through the Taiwan Strait to challenge Beijing’s claims that the Strait is ‘internal waters’ belonging to China.

The Chinese government rejects the notion that the Strait should be ‘used for international navigation’, as defined by article 37 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Beijing has determined that the Strait is too narrow to be defined as ‘high seas’ and has outlined that the waters of the Taiwan Strait, ‘from both shores towards the middle of the Strait, are China’s internal waters, then territorial sea, the contiguous zone and then exclusive economic zone’. Beijing incorrectly maintains that innocent passage by foreign militaries in the Taiwan Strait violates its sovereign rights.

Countries challenge Beijing’s unilateral determination by using military assets to undertake transits of the Taiwan Strait, simultaneously reinforcing UNCLOS and the need for unimpeded transit and a free and open Indo-Pacific region. However, not all countries choose to take the same approach. Some countries use transits to publicly challenge China and reinforce the need for international laws and norms, while others quietly pass through the Strait, making their presence known to Beijing, whose ships are always closely following behind.

China’s Strategy To Annex Taiwan Is More About Cyber Power Than Firepower

Brad Medairy

Nearly three in four Americans are concerned about a potential invasion of Taiwan, according to the latest Reagan National Defense Survey. And, Washington has fixated on a potential 2027 invasion scenario. But the fact is that the PRC has a strategy for annexing Taiwan without an invasion — and it’s in use right now. Resorting to force to take Taiwan would be perceived as a strategic failure in Beijing’s eyes. Rather, the PRC’s strategy to isolate, weaken and ultimately absorb Taiwan has more to do with cyber power than firepower. Before this approach can be countered, it must be understood. Gaining perspective on the strategy will help the U.S. compete more effectively with the PRC and reduce the risk of a crisis.

Our research shows Beijing’s strategy to annex Taiwan involves using cyber power comprehensively: on political, military and economic fronts. The PRC orchestrates online influence operations to erode trust in Taiwan’s government. It conducts espionage to expose Taiwan’s defenses and sow doubt about the island’s ability to keep secrets shared by foreign governments. It uses internet controls and censorship to pressure foreign companies to say Taiwan is part of the PRC. And it burrows into the computer systems that support U.S. critical infrastructure industries in a bid to undermine Taiwan’s security partnership with the U.S.

China's AI Governance: Engaging the Global South

Charis Liu

In June, Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the 60th anniversary of the UN Conference on Trade and Development calling for a truly multilateral approach to AI governance. He also reaffirmed China’s commitment to the global South. What is China’s strategy for promoting its approach to AI governance, and does it have a strategy specifically for engaging the global South on this issue?

Chinese strategy for AI governance on the global stage involves four key components. The first is that the PRC is pushing for a people-centered approach to developing AI, or what its leaders call yi ren wei ben, which has come up a lot in related policy documents that the PRC has published. The second emphasizes national sovereignty, which includes things like opposing the use of AI for ill purposes, manipulation of public opinion, and disinformation. The term national sovereignty is also linked to previous rhetoric on territorial integrity and digital sovereignty. The third component is related to a call for the establishment of testing and assessment of AI systems to prevent AI risks. The fourth one calls for more representation of developing countries in global AI governance. It emphasizes the role of the United Nations as a channel for communication and also welcomes “strengthening of North-South and South-South cooperation.”

While this all sounds great on paper, there are some levels of skepticism as to how these goals are brought into reality, given China’s domestic approach to AI governance.

Why China axed the Strategic Support Force and reshuffled the military

Gordon Arthur

Chinese President Xi Jinping instigated a significant restructuring of the People’s Liberation Army on April 19 by axing the Strategic Support Force and replacing it with a new Information Support Force.

While it’s unclear exactly why Xi enacted this major reshuffle, analysts suspect both military capability and political control contributed to his decision.

Joel Wuthnow, a Chinese military expert with the Washington-based National Defense University, believes Xi wanted greater oversight of support forces with the People’s Liberation Army.

“PLA observations of the war in Ukraine have made very clear that an effective structure for support forces, including in the logistics and information domains, is essential for modern warfighting. My sense is that the SSF [Strategic Support Force] proved to be an unnecessary management layer that obscured Xi’s visibility into what the PLA was doing in space, cyberspace and other information disciplines,” Wuthnow told Defense News.

China created the SSF on Dec. 31, 2015. Its successor, the Information Support Force, will now handle network information systems and communications support, and possibly network defense.

China’s Sharp Sword combat drones cutting into US airpower

Gabriel Honrada

China is ramping up development of its GJ-11 Sharp Sword, a stealthy flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) with the potential to reshape the future of drone warfare, The Warzone reported.

Planet Labs satellite imagery reviewed by The Warzone shows two GJ-11s active at Malan Air Base in western Xinjiang province, a known Chinese hub for uncrewed platform testing.

The GJ-11, designed for strike missions and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks, has been increasingly linked to future operations with crewed J-20 stealth fighters and potential deployment from People’s Liberation Army–Navy (PLA-N) aircraft carriers.

The Warzone notes that China’s surge in UCAV testing activity contrasts starkly with the US military’s lack of similar publicly acknowledged projects.

The War Zone mentions that the GJ-11’s development includes testing for cooperative operations and high autonomy. It notes that the GJ-11’s evolution, from its less stealthy prototype first seen in 2013 to its more advanced iterations, underscores China’s broad ambitions in uncrewed aerial technology and commitment to advancing its UCAV capabilities.

What China’s Belt and Road Initiative has in store for coming decade as priorities evolve

Ralph Jennings

The Belt and Road Initiative, an ongoing effort to link economies into a China-centred trade network, largely via Chinese-backed megaprojects abroad, has entered a phase that Beijing says involves “small but beautiful” additions.

As the plan to grow global trade approaches its 11th anniversary, the ambitious undertaking is expected to shift away from massive projects that have sometimes been accused of resulting in large debt piles or environmental damage in other countries.

Here are four points of interest and importance for the initiative in the coming decade:

1. High-priority countries

China has present or past agreements with 152 countries to pursue belt and road projects. Belt and road work could eventually cost Beijing US$1 trillion to US$8 trillion over an unspecified period, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank estimated in 2018.

Today, 44 of those countries are in sub-Saharan Africa, more than in any other region.

Over the next decade, China might shift its focus to Central and Southeast Asia, said Jayant Menon, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. Central Asian projects help fortify China’s trade links to Europe because of the largely landlocked region’s geography, he explained.

Lebanon: 8 Killed, Thousands Wounded In Simultaneous Explosion Of Pagers, Minister Says

At least eight people were killed and 2,750 were wounded when pagers exploded simultaneously in Lebanon, the health minister said on September 17 after the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group said two of its members and a girl were among those killed in the “mysterious” explosions.

Health Minister Firass Abiad said 200 of the injuries were critical, and Iran’s ambassador in Beirut was among those injured, Iranian media reported.

Hezbollah said that a number of pagers used by its members were detonated in the “simultaneous” explosions.

Mojtaba Amani, Iran’s ambassador in Beirut, was injured, Iranian media reported. The Fars news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, quoted an unidentified informed source as saying that Amani suffered a “superficial injury” as a result of a pager explosion.

The news channel of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Mehr news agency also reported that Amani was injured.

The Caliphate and the Modern Middle East

Mustafa Akyol

Few seem to have noticed, but this year, 2024, is the centennial of a pivotal event that deeply impacted the course of the modern Middle East, if not the world: the abolition of the Caliphate, or the “successorship” to the Prophet Muhammad, which led the worldwide Muslim community politically since the birth of Islam in the early seventh century.

The Caliphate had its ups and downs, and was at times more symbolic than effective, but it had meaningfully survived into the twentieth century under the banner of its last seat, the Ottoman Empire. But the latter collapsed in the aftermath of World War I, allowing one of its generals, the staunchly secular Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk), to abolish the Ottoman monarchy in 1922 and proclaim the Republic of Turkey a year later.

However, there is a little-noted detail in this revolution: Initially, Kemal did not touch the Caliphate. While his republic commenced in the new capital, Ankara, the old Caliphate, now held by the last Ottoman crown prince Abdulmejid II, continued in Istanbul as a non-political but still prestigious institution. If things continued like that, it could have turned into an entity like the Vatican State, preserving a moral authority not just in Turkey but also in the broader Sunni world. Yet Kemal had little patience for any authority other than his own. About sixteen months after the abolition of the monarchy, he also abolished the Caliphate on March 3, 1924. On the very same day, he immediately expelled the last caliph, along with all Ottoman family members, from Turkey.

The Axis of Good People Doing Nothing

Andrew Fox & Stefan Tompson

The tiny emirate of Qatar—a former British protectorate in the Persian Gulf—is where the Evil Empire narrative, used by Western Liberals to admonish themselves and their voters, finally comes full circle.

Ordered into a modern state and given the tools to become the richest society on earth, Qatar used its 1971 independence to return to its feudal ways, to challenge every last liberal shibboleth that the enlightened West cherishes, and to exert its cultural influence abroad.

Yet, while left-wing commentators beat themselves with straws of white privilege, women’s persecution, and workers’ exploitation to explain the inequalities of wealth among their own populations, they have no problem promoting those same vices in Qatar in return for the diminishing rewards of Qatari political allegiance.

The calculation seems simple: as long as Doha provides gas, Western governments will forget every postured principle they use as an excuse to raise your taxes.

Ensuring U.S. National Security Space Forces Are Ready for Near-Term Conflict

Chris Williams

The next U.S. President will confront a dramatically worsening international security environment. The growing political, military and technological collusion between the new Axis powers (China, Russia, North Korea and Iran) poses a serious and growing threat to U.S. military forces and America’s vital national interests. The United States faces the very real prospect

of multiple simultaneous, high-intensity military crises or conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, Northeast Asia and the Indo- Pacific. Urgent steps are needed to assure U.S. national security space forces are optimized for near-term high-intensity conflict on a global scale.

There is a growing recognition that U.S. national security space systems, including Department of Defense (Title 10) and Intelligence Community (Title 50) capabilities as well as commercial systems, are essential to America’s security and way of life. Without support from critical space systems, the U.S. ability to protect and defend its global interests would be severely degraded. More pointedly, whether America wins or loses the next war (or wars) may depend on the availability and effectiveness of U.S. space systems.

The Kursk Offensive: How Ukraine’s Operational-Level Guerrilla Warfare Is Bringing Maneuver Back

Robert G. Rose

Last year, I argued that Ukraine was correct in pursuing an attritional approach against Russia. I had not foreseen, as Russian General Valery Gerasimov also apparently had not, Ukraine’s General Oleksandr Syrskyi launching the surprise Kursk offensive and opening a new front in the war. Without having to face the prepared, continuous, defense in depth that characterized the Russian positions on the war’s increasingly static front lines, Syrskyi created a new context, which has allowed Ukraine to pursue maneuver as an operational approach.

Bringing back maneuver may be the most important aspect of the Kursk offensive. Many writers have already discussed the strategic-level implications of the offensive—changing the narrative of the war, embarrassing Vladimir Putin, or providing Ukraine with bargaining chips in negotiations. But by finding an alternative to having to break through prepared Russian defenses, this offensive could fundamentally change Ukraine’s approach to fighting. By launching surprise offensives across the thinly defended border, Ukraine can pursue operational-level guerrilla warfare to support an overall strategy of exhaustion.

These terms—attrition and maneuver, along with exhaustion and annihilation—are often muddled, but if properly understood, they can offer clarity about the war in Ukraine and its shifting operational contexts. Hans Delbrück explained that a strategy of exhaustion seeks to wear down an enemy across military, political, and economic fronts until they lose the will to continue a war. He contrasted it with a strategy of annihilation, which tries to concentrate a country’s power into a single, decisive victory. While exhaustion and annihilation are best seen as opposing strategies, maneuver and attrition are best seen as differing approaches to employing military forces at the operational level of war.

Chairman McCaul Releases Historic, Comprehensive Report on Biden-Harris Administration’s Afghanistan Withdrawal

“Our investigation reveals the Biden-Harris administration had the information and opportunity to take necessary steps to plan for the inevitable collapse of the Afghan government, so we could safely evacuate U.S. personnel, American citizens, green card holders, and our brave Afghan allies. At each step of the way, however, the administration picked optics over security.

“As a result of the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to plan for all contingencies, the U.S. government conducted an emergency evacuation without the necessary personnel, supplies, and equipment. The administration’s dereliction of duty placed U.S. servicemembers and U.S. State Department personnel in mortal danger, where the Taliban – our sworn enemy – became the first line of defense. As a direct result of the failure to plan for all contingencies, 13 U.S. servicemembers and 170 Afghans were murdered in a terrorist attack at Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021, and 45 U.S. servicemembers and countless Afghans were injured. This was preventable.

“It has damaged U.S. credibility. It has emboldened our adversaries, and it has made the United States more at risk of an attack emanating from Afghanistan. And the moral injury to our veterans and servicemembers is generational. The administration’s unconditional surrender and the abandonment of our Afghan allies, who fought alongside the U.S. military against the Taliban – their brothers in arms – is a stain on this administration.

Estonian-made combat robots in Ukraine now come with Starlink

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo

Estonian-made THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles operating in Ukraine will feature Starlink satellite connectivity, enabling their operation from thousands of kilometers away, the robot manufacturer announced on Wednesday.

A vehicle equipped to that effect, made by United Arab Emirates-owned and Estonia-based Milrem Robotics, will be unveiled at the company’s during Eurosatory 2024 trade show that begins next week, according to a company statement,

Specifically, a THeMIS variant devoted to cargo transportation will feature the Starlink hookup, a constellation of internet satellites operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Milrem has given more than dozen THeMIS vehicles to Ukrainian forces.

The Estonian company sought out the expertise of the Dutch datalinks firm AEC Skyline for the integration of the vehicles’ latest add-on feature, Milrem said.

“By leveraging satellite connectivity, the THeMIS robotic vehicle, which is currently assisting Ukrainian soldiers in the war with Russia, can seamlessly transmit data, receive commands, and relay vital information in real-time, regardless of its location on the battlefield,” the Milrem statement reads.

Elements to Control Terahertz Laser Radiation Created in Russia

The characteristics of high-power terahertz beams in new laser systems can be controlled using silicon and diamond optical elements created at the Samara University.

Researchers have created a wide range of optical elements that allow the manipulation of terahertz laser radiation. According to them, silicon and diamond diffractive optical elements for the terahertz range were created for the first time, which makes it possible to form powerful beams with specified characteristics (including the so-called “rotating beams”) and focus radiation into specified areas of space.

Terahertz radiation has unique properties for optoelectronics, scientists from the Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev told Sputnik. They have developed efficient methods for calculating and creating optical elements that operate in the terahertz range of the electromagnetic spectrum, located between the infrared and microwave ranges.

According to the authors of the research, the development can be applied in materials processing, the creation of optoelectronic devices for information processing, as well as in telecommunications. The research results were published in the collective monograph of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Terahertz Photonics".

Local Government Is Key to the Fight Against Disinformation

Michael Vandergriff

State governments, it is sometimes said, are the laboratories of democracy. If so, the rest of the world should make use of the new discoveries that are occurring there in the fight against election disinformation.

2024 is a pivotal year for democracies around the globe with more than half the world’s population going to the polls. However, the unprecedented threat of election-related disinformation looms large, particularly in the United States.

Authoritarian countries like Russia, China, and Iran are leading disinformation campaigns, enhanced by artificial intelligence, to push narratives that undermine democratic governance, exacerbate political divisions, and support strongman and populist leaders. It is also increasingly apparent that foreign actors are poised to ramp up influence operations as Americans head to the polls. While it’s not the only threat in the disinformation landscape, they are certainly ones to be taken seriously, especially as the U.S. prepares for a polarized and divisive presidential election.

With Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump locked in a competitive race for the White House, the contest to determine who will secure the presidency is likely be decided by a thin margin of voters in a handful of states. And any widespread disinformation campaign targeting battleground states has the potential to tip the scales or delegitimize election results. Down-ballot races are also at risk.

The Army doth protest too much: In Space, jointness must come first

Charles Galbreath and Jennifer Reeves

Our Aug. 13 op-ed on the Army’s overreach to create a new space career field and expand its space control capabilities struck a surprising chord, and generated a robust and frankly overdue debate about the Army’s role in space. After reading the Army’s formal rebuttal, visiting soldiers doing space missions, and having many conversations with members of the US Space Command, our takeaway is clear:

The need to clearly understand the distinctions in roles and functions of the various services and combatant commands is foundational to the success of joint operations, and the conversation around the Space Force and its relationships needs to continue for all stakeholders to really understand each other’s stances.

In our discussions since our first op-ed, we have concluded that there are three broad reasons behind the Army’s desire to increase its organic space expertise and capabilities. While these may make sense from a pure Army perspective, it does not mean they fit into the integrated warfighting construct now being pushed by top Pentagon leaders, who understand that joint collaboration is the best way to maximize effectiveness and efficiencies to win.

The Quad Is Not An Asian NATO – Analysis

Ambassador Kazi Anwarul Masud

In March 2021 renowned newspaper The Diplomat printed an article titled The QUAD is not an Asian NATO, but was a reply to security threat posed by China to international order.

China along with Russia replied that QUAD was a fitting reply to the domination by Western powers since the days of the defeat of Japan and her surrender after the nuclear explosion that obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the order of then US President Harry Truman. Analysts have been perplexed as to why though Japan was an adversary and the main theater of war was Germany which too was defeated leading to the suicide of Adolf Hitler and subsequent trial of Nuremberg leading to the trial and punishment of the leading military lights of Hitler.

Decades have passed since then and new world has emerged where QUAD has been welcomed as a fitting reply to China’s aggressive behavior in South Asia, and in the disputed areas in South and East China sea. Forgotten are the days of the Rape of Nanking when the US had been an arms supplier to beleaguered China to confront the Japanese. Military developments drew Americans and Chinese closer together.

America’s future advantage depends on quick adoption of advanced tech - Opinion

Mark T. Esper

After more than two years of conflict in Ukraine, it is obvious how lower-cost, more easily producible, advanced technologies — notably unmanned systems — are giving the Ukrainian military an asymmetric advantage against a much larger and more heavily armed foe.

While many aspects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resemble World War I — trenches, barbed wires, heavy exchanges of artillery — the innovative use of drones has been game-changing. Unmanned systems are altering the character of warfare, and the ongoing integration of AI and robotics will further accelerate this dramatic shift. It is why these were my top modernization objectives during my tenure as Army secretary and secretary of defense.

The potency of unmanned systems is most pronounced when it comes to small aerial drones — essentially robots — that are used today to conduct the same tasks that soldiers performed in the past: reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting and direct attack. But they do it far more efficiently and accurately. For instance, when I was a platoon leader decades ago, it typically took a couple infantrymen to destroy a tank at a max range of 3,750 meters. Today, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can do the same at far greater distances, with better success, and at much less cost.

Biden, NATO effectively declaring war on Russia - Opinion

Stephen Bryen

There is no other way to interpret it: Washington and its client NATO members are declaring war on Russia.

That is the direct meaning of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s forthcoming visit to Washington, where the parties will agree on targets inside Russia.

To say this is an insane, reckless move is an understatement. This is the most dangerous step possible for the US and NATO – and it will likely lead to World War III.

Don’t believe any rhetoric “justifying” the use of long-range missiles on Russia. Putin has pointed out that while Ukraine will host the missiles, they will be fired by NATO personnel who will also insert the targeting data coming from overhead satellites covering Russian territory. Those satellites are American.

The upcoming Zelensky-Joe Biden meeting should also include Vice President Kamala Harris, so she takes full responsibility for starting a war.

With approval for Ukraine to fire long-range Storm Shadow missiles on the horizon, Russia threatens war with NATO nations

Heloise Vyas

Ukraine's pleas for permission to fire long-range missiles in Russia have dominated high-level engagements between US and UK officials this week

However, despite a visit to Kyiv by the nations' top diplomats and a meeting between their leaders, no consensus has been reached.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with US President Joe Biden in Washington on Friday and they discussed whether to allow Ukraine to strike deep in Russian territory using Western-supplied weapons, which already are in its possession but continue to be restricted by the White House.

At the centre of the talks was the Storm Shadow — a British-French missile that the UK supplied to Kyiv last year but has not been green-lit for use outside Ukrainian borders.

What are Storm Shadow missiles?

Storm Shadows are air-launched cruise missiles capable of hitting targets up to 250 kilometres away.

While Ukraine already has drones with much longer range (1,800km according to Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov), the missiles are designed for attacks against high-value targets such as hardened bunkers and ammunition stores.

Boeing to launch Q4S satellite for quantum entanglement demonstration

Howie Jones

Boeing is working on a satellite mission to demonstrate quantum entanglement swapping capabilities in space. The company says it is a first-of-its-kind mission that aims to lay the groundwork for a global quantum satellite network. The mission is scheduled for launch in 2026 and will involve two entangled-photon pair sources housed within one space vehicle.

Boeing is collaborating with HRL Laboratories, a joint venture between Boeing and General Motors, for this mission. The satellite is named Q4S, which references quantum physics, the four photons involved in the entanglement swapping protocol, and the space environment. The mission will fly on an Astro Digital Corvus satellite.

Jay Lowell, chief engineer for Boeing’s Disruptive Computing, Networks & Sensors organization, said in a recent media briefing that this mission is a cornerstone of Boeing’s quantum strategy. “This demonstration will inform how quantum networking technology could impact Boeing’s products and services,” Lowell said. Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon Albert Einstein famously described as “spooky action at a distance.” It involves quantum teleportation, where information carried by a particle can be transferred without moving the particle itself across space.

Powering China’s Data Centers: Batteries or Nukes?

Caleb Harding and Lily Ottinger

AI development is facing an imminent electricity bottleneck. Data centers collectively make up 3% of total US electricity demand, and some predictions indicate they could consume up to 8% of electricity demand by 2030.1 And already, energy-consumption concerns have stalled some US data-center construction.

This leaves companies in a tough spot: if they can’t get enough energy to train their models, they will fall behind.

In response, some companies have quietly walked back promises of carbon neutrality, pivoting away from renewables and burning fossil fuels to pick up the slack. Meanwhile, Amazon has purchased a data center right next to a nuclear power plant to ensure an adequate supply of green energy.

China is staring down the same bottleneck. Today, we’re exploring China’s plan to unlock green energy abundance on the journey to become a world leader in AI.

ATLAS Uncrewed “Combat Wingman” Fighting Vehicle Unveiled

Thomas Newdick

BAE Systems has launched its new uncrewed ground vehicle, or UGV, the Autonomous Tactical Light Armor System (ATLAS) Collaborative Combat Variant (CCV), a roughly 11-ton 8×8 vehicle, developed in Australia, and pitched as a “combat wingman” with the potential for a high degree of autonomy. Armed with a powerful 25mm Bushmaster cannon, the vehicle is the latest addition to a growing number of UGVs that are designed to provide more flexibility to ground forces’ commanders, primarily by reducing the risks that personnel are exposed to on the battlefield.

Unveiled at the Land Forces 2024 exposition in Melbourne yesterday by the company’s BAE Systems Australia subsidiary, the ATLAS CCV is described as a “cost-effective, modular, 8×8 UGV.” It’s a design that fits into the manufacturer’s vision of a future battlefield that will “involve a mix of autonomous, semi-autonomous, and human-machine teams, generating combat mass and removing soldiers from many of the most dangerous tasks.”

By adding uncrewed platforms like the ATLAS CCV to ground forces, BAE Systems argues that overall costs will be driven down, with UGVs being cheaper to acquire and operate (not least, since they require a smaller personnel footprint). At the same time, the company envisages the ATLAS CCV as very much an adjunct to crewed platforms like tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)