EURONAVAL 2018 | 25 October | ECA Group workshop: Autonomous decision-making of naval « drones »

Autonomous decision-making of naval « drones »

Use of naval drones is getting more and more frequent and varied. It was previously limited to simple scenarios. Their field of application is spreading year after year thanks to their discretion, the reduction of the risk of human loss or accident, better data quality and reduction of human and material means necessary to operate them. The need for autonomous decision-making of drones grows with mission complexity and expected quality level.

Thus, to carry out their mission, drones will have to decide by themselves how to do it, either because it is too tedious or complex to describe it or because it will have to adapt to the environment or an event. The simultaneous use of several drones reveals also the need for several levels of decision-making autonomy: at the drone level and at the fleet management level.

The presentation will highlight the needs for autonomous decision-making and their classification, the challenges they represent and finally the changes of doctrine their use will generate.