AI Helps USNORTHCOM Mission With Rapid Distribution of Data – GovernmentCIO Media & Research

Commander Gen. Glen VanHerck said intelligent automation better protects the homeland by promptly disseminating raw data throughout the world.

U.S. Northern Command Commander U.S. Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon July 28, 2021. Photo Credit: Defense Department/DVIDS

United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is on a fast track to distributing more data to key decision-makers and commanders at a faster rate worldwide thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

The Pathfinder Program allows USNORTHCOM to take AI and ML capabilities and quickly spread data around the globe to gain time and space advantages while defending against cruise missiles.

According to Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander at USNORTHCOM and North American Aerospace Defense Command, USNORTHCOM previously only filtered 2% of available data that collected from radar systems across Canada and Alaska.

Now Pathfinder is taking 100% of the raw data, diffusing it for multiple sources and allowing it to be processed and disseminated for key decision-makers in theater.

But thats not good enough because thats just focused on one problem set, VanHerck said during a recent Defense Writers Group event. What I'm focusing on is a global look across all domains, infusing data, which were doing through our global information dominance experiment, which has demonstrated that those capabilities exist.

If you share the data to utilize machines that can count numbers, tell you when there are changes in vehicles in a command post, where the vehicles are going and then it can attach sensors and give you an alert that you should go look at this location, he added. What were doing is were not creating new data, were taking machines that can take existing data and analyze it quicker and alert you to it so you can create deterrents if you need to.

DOD launched its AI and Data Acceleration (ADA)initiative in June 2021to better curate and manage data. VanHerck believes the department isn't moving fast enough on programs like ADA and added that you cant apply industrial-based processes to software-driven capabilities in todays environment. DOD needs to move faster on ADA to provide data to senior leaders at the speed of relevancy, he said.

Were ready to field some of these capabilities specifically when youre focused at the operational to strategic level where what were trying to do is give increased decision space to our nations most senior leaders to develop defense options that in my mind lower the risk of an attack on our homeland, VanHerck said.

The general also discussed how AI and ML could help with cruise missile defense by deciphering sensor data and communicating the insights quickly to key decision-makers in theater.

We need to take the sensors we have today and potential new sensors and share that data and information and utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to make that data and information available sooner than we have in the past and get it to decision-makers in a timely manner so they can create deterrence, he said.

This would create deterrent options before a bomber takes off or a submarine launch.

Before those assets ever launch, you can use the information environment to pick up the phone and publicly message and move troops into a deterred position so that they will have cause to even launch those platforms in the first place, VanHerck said. It would be fusing data and sensors to cue you to the potential launch of the cruise missile that may launch a thousand miles off the coast on a certain area. Then a space sensor sees that information and then cues additional sensors to provide domain awareness to decision makers.

Cyber threats also continue to be a top priority for USNORTHCOM after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. VanHerck said the U.S. faces cyber threats every day as state and non-state actors plant malware in critical infrastructure systems.

Were postured to get after that threat, and I expect that it wont go away, but will only grow as we move forward. Its an educational challenge to make sure that cyber hygiene is as good as it can be and to understand the threat and vulnerabilities that we actually have, VanHerck said.

Since the Russian invasion, USNORTHCOM has collaborated with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to analyze suspicious cyber activity.

Attribution is a challenge in the cyber domain, making certain that were ready before an attack and that we have proper attribution so we dont inadvertently escalate and create attention and friction we dont want to see, VanHerck said.

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AI Helps USNORTHCOM Mission With Rapid Distribution of Data - GovernmentCIO Media & Research