Keeping Pace with Global Threats: A Closer Look at the Elevating Global Threat Threshold

The defense landscape is rapidly evolving, as autonomous systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming mission essential. Their growing presence on the battlefield is not only transforming military and security operations but also elevating the global threat threshold. As these global threats evolve, so does our need to remain one step ahead with speed, precision, and flexibility. The Department of Defense’s continued investment in the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER) is a clear signal that agility in this capability delivery is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity.

Contractors and mission partners who can adapt quickly, integrate advanced technologies, and stay out in front are the ones who will continue to add value. AI is no longer theoretical; it is a force multiplier already reshaping operations on and off the battlefield.

Why AI Matters in Defense

AI is about more than smart machines. It is about leveraging real-time data, pattern recognition, and autonomous decision-making to outpace the adversary. It is helping reduce risk to personnel, accelerate decision cycles, and deliver mission outcomes faster.

According to the Artificial Intelligence in Military Global Market Report 2025, the military AI market is projected to grow from $9.67B in 2024 to $11.25B this year. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD R&E) has designated AI as a Critical Technology Area—this is critical to how we modernize, protect, and maintain our advantage.

Where AI Is Already Making a Difference

• Combat Agility: AI-enabled systems like UAVs are transforming intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and combat support. In Ukraine, AI-powered drones have proven lethal and effective, executing rapid strikes and surveillance with minimal human involvement.
• Decision Support: Whether it is Project Maven helping commanders process data faster, or AI integration into naval weapons systems to better assess threats—these tools give leaders an edge in time-critical scenarios.
• Cybersecurity & Threat Detection: The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are already using AI to detect, disrupt, and neutralize sophisticated cyberattacks. With cyber threats now part of the battlespace, AI gives defenders the ability to stay one step ahead.
• Training & Mission Planning: AI is also driving more realistic combat simulations and predictive analytics for logistics and threat modeling. It is about preparing the force and planning operations with greater clarity and speed.

Staying Sharp on Risk

AI offers a tactical and strategic advantage—but it is not without risk. Current concerns on the battlefield include unintended escalation, particular to unmanned AI systems, making decisions faster than humans without context and ethical reasoning. Misuse, overreliance, or poor integration can introduce vulnerabilities. Reliability and bias create a major risk within AI models – as they are only as good as their data and design. As with any system, it becomes a target of the adversary, ripe for cyber-attacks to with adversarial inputs designed to “confuse or deceive” the system.

Experts are concerned about rising proliferation with a potential arms race in AI. As AI technologies become more readily available, a lower barrier to entry for lethal autonomous weapons by rogue states or terrorist groups will open. And following that is a concern for the loss of human control in autonomous drove on drone warfare, with fully autonomous systems operating from a “black box” decision-process on the battlefield. NPR reported “If AI gets too powerful, it could start making decisions in military battles” with a warning from experts pointing to the guardrails being left to the user, and often non-state, or “bad” actors.  General Mark A. Milley, former U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2023 added, “U.S. policy with respect to artificial intelligence and its application to military operations is to ensure that humans remain involved. That is not the policy necessarily of adversarial countries that are also developing artificial intelligence.”

As these technologies mature and evolve, our responsibility is to understand it, apply it smartly, and remain focused on the mission—not just the machine.

Bottom Line

AI is not the future—it is now. If we want to keep pace with adversaries and operate effectively in high-threat environments, integrating AI into our approach is mission-critical. The faster we adapt, the more resilient and ready we become.