DVIDS – News – Wikoff: ‘The Stakes Are High’ For Maritime Strategies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia – The commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East shared his thoughts on the future of maritime security in the age of artificial intelligence and machine learning during his remarks at the 3rd Saudi International Maritime Forum, Nov. 19.

“Artificial Intelligence is foundational to our ability to locate, assess, and interdict bad actors hiding among the thousands of well-intentioned mariners just doing their jobs at sea,” said Vice Adm. George Wikoff, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet.

Wikoff said the U.S. Navy has embraced the challenge, noting that the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, recently released her Project 33 Initiative, which he said looks to, “operationalize robotic and autonomous systems and implement artificial intelligence into our maritime tasks.”

“AI unleashes our ability to assess terabytes of data rapidly, compare it against existing data, analyze patterns, and identify abnormalities, enabling us to accelerate our decision-making processes with increased accuracy,” Wikoff said.

He noted that the United States, along with countries in the region, are developing a “common operating picture” to quickly identify and share information on maritime threats.

Through Task Force 59, NAVCENT’s unmanned and AI development task force, “we’ve integrated unmanned systems into numerous multilateral and bilateral exercises to demonstrate the potential for some of the most proven technologies in the maritime,” Wikoff said.

He noted that the age of AI provides “a revolutionary opportunity” to transform maritime strategies to preserve the rules-based international order against adversaries who are intent on disrupting it.

“The stakes are high,” Wikoff said, “and competitors for these advanced capabilities are working hard to make today’s technology irrelevant tomorrow. The current operational environment calls for innovative solutions, the strategies to employ them, and the ability to assess their effectiveness so we can collectively maintain our maritime advantage in the future – and that future of warfare is upon us.”

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water space. It includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean, and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, and Bab al-Mandeb.