According to a report by Defense News on its website on the 10th, the "AUKUS" alliance, consisting of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, successfully tested drones and other autonomous combat devices supported by artificial intelligence technology during the multinational "Project Convergence - Capstone" joint exercise hosted by the United States. Drones from the three countries operated together in the same airspace, enabling operators to locate, shorten the time required to identify enemy targets, and disable and destroy ground targets such as enemy assets. This trial is part of the AUKUS "Resilient and Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Technology" project, achieving seamless exchange of data and control rights among the three countries and highlighting the success of adopting artificial intelligence autonomous systems. This also marks an important step forward in the application of artificial intelligence in the field of military security.

Background Introduction to the Military Applications of the "AUKUS" Alliance The so-called "AUKUS" is a multilateral military cooperation framework officially established by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, three "English-speaking" countries, on a certain date to enhance cooperation in the military, intelligence, and technology sectors under the pretext of "strengthening collective security cooperation." When it was established in a certain month, President Biden claimed that it would pool the strengths of the three countries to maintain and expand their advantages in military and key technologies, such as networks and artificial intelligence. Since its inception, countries like Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, and India have been invited to join or have expressed their willingness to join. The "AUKUS" alliance has garnered significant attention as it has been prominently portrayed by the United States and the United Kingdom as a crucial part of the so-called "new Indo-Pacific strategic alliance." Under such circumstances, any attempts, signals, or actions to "upgrade" or "expand" the "AUKUS" will be closely watched. In recent years, intelligent weaponry such as drones, unmanned combat vehicles, killer robots, and autonomous underwater vehicles have been unveiled, not only showcasing the cutting-edge of military technology but also foreshadowing a shift in future warfare patterns with the advent of the artificial intelligence era. The rapid development of artificial intelligence in military applications is driven by technological advancements, the pull of military needs, and the guidance of national strategies. Advances in technologies like large models and supercomputing centers have made their application in the military possible; the modern war's demand for efficient, precise, and autonomous military forces has intensified the research and application of intelligent weaponry; and countries have increasingly viewed these technologies as strategic resources, increasing their investment and layout in the military sector to gain a competitive edge in future international competition.

Analysis of the Military Application of the "AUKUS" Alliance: As early as the year, the United States Northern Command had already begun the construction of Joint All-Domain Command and Control capabilities. This project aims to gather information from all domains and share it through machine learning and artificial intelligence, which will help provide timely data and information, giving decision-makers ample tactical response time. Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon Press Secretary, stated that this exercise is a test of the project. The recent "AUKUS" alliance exercise reveals that the application of artificial intelligence in the military field is gradually moving from theory to practice. Specifically:

1. In the field of network communication. In this instance, the successful establishment of transportation and network connections with multinational partners has laid the foundation for the data transmission of the Coalition Common Operational Picture and Integrated Fires, which is also crucial for optimizing the sensor-to-shooter chain. The construction of the network environment enables the identification data to be quickly and accurately transmitted to decision-makers, thereby forming a decision-making advantage.

2. In terms of expert assistance, the "Knowledge Table" was also utilized in this context. The "Knowledge Table" was established in [year] to serve as a think tank for the US military, providing key insights to senior leadership from observations to analyze how joint and multinational forces can effectively communicate, maneuver, fight, and win in the future. Composed of numerous experts, the Knowledge Table investigates the synergy between artificial intelligence and soldier formations to gather data, which is then used to integrate offensive and defensive fire weapons sensors and to accelerate the speed of decision-making assisted by artificial intelligence and machine learning.

3. In the realm of integrated operations, intelligent devices such as drones and robotic dogs are connected through a simple command and control network, leveraging the inherent "capabilities" of artificial intelligence to autonomously analyze and perceive battlefield environments. For instance, one of the deployed systems is an add-on for the Tactical Assault Kit, a map-based software application that dynamically adjusts to detect the positions of enemy forces using data collected by drones, while another drone provides detailed imagery for confirmation. The information is transmitted to the Tactical Operations Center, where the command center decides to carry out the strike.

4. In the application of defense. In this exercise, the layered defense system proved to be feasible. The primary goal of the layered defense during this exercise was to test the sensor capabilities of drones and manned aircraft, which send data to nodes for interpretation for use by air defense interceptors. Layered defense means providing different defense solutions for different weapons targeting different defense areas. For instance, in this test, sensors and effectors were integrated into an integrated fire control network, significantly enhancing the ability to automatically identify, track, engage, and defend against various threats, thereby improving overall effectiveness.

The "AUKUS" alliance's recent exercise has demonstrated advanced technical integration and innovation at a technical level. Relying on core technologies such as big data processing, machine learning, and deep learning, the alliance has achieved efficient operation of drones and other autonomous combat devices. The integration of cross-domain technologies has become crucial in this process, such as the upgrading of sensor technology, the optimization of network communication, and the refinement of autonomous decision-making algorithms. These technological integrations provide strong data support and intelligent decision-making capabilities for military operations. Mechanistically, on one hand, modular system design has been realized, allowing different functional modules to be quickly combined to adapt to diverse battlefield needs; on the other hand, a data sharing and collaborative combat mechanism among multiple countries has been formed. By establishing an efficient data exchange platform, real-time sharing of battlefield information has been achieved. This has continuously honed the practical operational aspects of military applications. These exercises not only tested the performance of technology in real combat environments but also trained the collaborative coordination capabilities of troops in intelligent warfare, enhancing the military talent ecosystem.

The Impact of the "AUKUS" Alliance's Military Applications Currently, the success of the "AUKUS" alliance's unmanned autonomous systems undoubtedly provides new references for military development worldwide. However, as the core driving force of the new round of technological revolution and military transformation, artificial intelligence has a significant impact on national security, bringing new challenges to the military application of AI and posing challenges to China's military security.

1. Significantly enhancing US defense capabilities. Low-cost, autonomous, and expendable AI-driven unmanned combat systems will be employed by the US military and deployed in battlefield environments, substantially boosting the US military's ability to respond to modern warfare. By utilizing unmanned combat systems across multiple battlefield domains, the US aims to offset adversary capabilities and secure victories in localized conflicts. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks has openly stated that the US will leverage artificial intelligence to enhance the overall effectiveness of combat command systems, advance the development and application of autonomous attack platforms. She emphasized that this is aimed at competing militarily with China: "Helping us counter China's greatest advantage—numerical superiority, including more ships, a large number of missiles, and human wave tactics."

2. Consolidating the Military Dominance of the AUKUS Alliance. The establishment of the AUKUS Alliance aims to strengthen military cooperation between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, jointly addressing potential threats. It also signifies a close-knit political, military, and technological alliance among the three countries. The AUKUS Alliance seeks to lead in cutting-edge technology fields, ensuring technological superiority over so-called "strategic competitors," and leveraging this technological edge to gain military advantage. The deep cooperation among member states in technology and military fields will further promote their collaboration at the political level. The success of this exercise demonstrates the alliance's formidable capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence. By deepening military technology exchanges and cooperation, the alliance countries can share military technological achievements and enhance their overall combat effectiveness.

3. The successful exercise of the "AUKUS" alliance signifies that the application of artificial intelligence technology in the military field has entered a practical stage. Future wars will no longer be confined to traditional human-to-human confrontations but will transform into competitions between intelligent weapon systems. Smart equipment such as drones and unmanned combat vehicles will play a crucial role on the battlefield, enabling rapid, precise, and efficient strikes. This will undoubtedly reshape the rules of war, give rise to new forms of warfare, alter the mechanisms of victory in war, have a disruptive impact on information-based warfare, and profoundly influence the global military landscape.

4. Intensifying Military and Security Challenges Affecting Our Country. Facing the breakthroughs in the field of artificial intelligence by the "AUKUS" alliance, our country's military security faces more challenges: gaps in military technology, transformation of war patterns, pressure from military cooperation, and impacts on the security development environment.

China's response strategy or advice: Currently, the trend of the United States accelerating the militarization of artificial intelligence through alliances is difficult to change. Facing these challenges, China should anticipate and guard against this trend, adopting multi-dimensional and comprehensive response strategies.

1. Strengthen technological research and innovation, enhance anti-intelligent combat capabilities. Our country needs to actively promote the research and development of artificial intelligence and its military applications, increase investment in the military application field, and improve the capacity for defense technological innovation. For example, further enhance the integration of research and development with military-civilian integration, taking military-civilian integration as the technical foundation for countering intelligent warfare. Encourage universities and research institutions to collaborate with enterprises, particularly in enhancing the transformation capabilities of "military-civilian fields," and cultivate a group of leading talents and innovative teams with international competitiveness. For example, enhance defensive capabilities and improve offensive and defensive capabilities in the field of military intelligence. Take intelligent technology as a breakthrough, focusing on enhancing the intelligence level of weapon systems.

2. Actively engage in dialogue and communication to shape a favorable external environment. On one hand, our country can actively conduct dialogue and cooperation with neighboring countries, especially those in the Asia-Pacific region, to jointly explore strategies for countering intelligent military threats. By enhancing regional security cooperation, the overall defensive capabilities can be improved. On the other hand, our country can conduct strategic communication with countries opposing the "AUKUS" alliance, seeking common interests, and utilizing multilateral cooperation mechanisms on the international stage to jointly address the pressures brought by the alliance. Through diplomatic means, more countries can be won over for understanding and support, thereby forming an external environment conducive to our country.

3. Strengthen safety oversight and actively participate in global governance of military AI risks. Based on the development of AI's military applications.