Sentry Staff
The United States Department of Defense’s nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) framework has long needed modernization, and Air Force Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), believes artificial intelligence could significantly bolster its capabilities.
“AI will enhance our decision-making capabilities,” Gen. Cotton said at the 2024 Department of Defense Intelligence Information System Conference in October, according to Air & Space Forces magazine. “But we must never allow artificial intelligence to make those decisions for us.”
Amid escalating threats, the influx of sensor data and growing cybersecurity concerns, AI can prove essential for maintaining superiority for the U.S. and its Allies and Partners. “Advanced systems can inform us faster and more efficiently,” Gen. Cotton said. “But we must always maintain a human decision in the loop to maximize the adoption of these capabilities and maintain our edge over our adversaries.”
AI can provide leaders with more “decision space,” ensuring the security of the entire nuclear infrastructure, according to Gen. Cotton. “Our adversaries must know that our nuclear command and control and other capabilities that provide decision advantage are at the ready, 24/7, 365, and cannot be compromised or defeated,” he said.
Past USSTRATCOM leaders like Adm. Charles Richard and Gen. John E. Hyten have also advocated for NC3 updates. However, with the Air Force’s focus on modernizing its strategic bomber fleet with the B-21 Raider, upgrading intercontinental ballistic missiles with the Sentinel missile, and advancing ballistic missile submarines with Columbia-class subs, NC3 has often had to compete with other modification efforts.
It’s also a complex system, according to Chris Adams, general manager of Northrop Grumman’s Strategic Space Systems Division. “It’s not a single system that was deployed at one point in time,” he said, according to Air & Space Forces magazine. “It’s a system of systems. It really encompasses hundreds of individual systems that are modernized and sustained over a long period of time in response to an ever-changing threat.”
Integrating AI into these systems can enhance speed and interpret large volumes of data. However, there are risks like misplaced trust in AI, poisoned data and inaccurate algorithms, as researchers have noted.
Gen. Cotton has considered these difficulties, but is generally optimistic. “Advanced AI and robust data analytics capabilities provide decision advantage and improve our deterrence posture,” he said. “IT and AI superiority allows for more effective integration of conventional and nuclear capabilities, strengthening deterrence.”