The US Navy has deployed artificial intelligence on a combat ship for the first time, installing the Enterprise Remote Monitoring Version 4 (ERM v4) system on the destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62). The system is part of the Condition Based Maintenance Plus program, which uses machine learning to predict and manage the maintenance of warships. Interesting Engineering writes about this.
ERM v4 analyzes 10,000 sensor data points every second, monitoring the condition of the ship's hull, mechanical, and electrical systems. AI algorithms recognize deviations and anomalies that can signal potential malfunctions. This allows the crew to prevent serious problems before they occur, reducing downtime and improving the combat readiness of the ship.
The US Navy plans to integrate ERM v4 into the Naval Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (NMRO) system, and also deploy it on four more ships in 2025. This will expand the AI database, improving the accuracy of ship condition predictions.
The use of AI in the US Navy is part of a large-scale modernization of defense technologies. DARPA has also begun developing a «Theory of Mind», which will help the military better understand the actions of potential adversaries. Meanwhile, OpenAI and Anduril are working on protecting military facilities from drone attacks with the help of AI.