UK develops test and evaluation capability for autonomous systems

A trial held at Radnor Range, Wales, in October demonstrated how a blend of live and synthetic environments can be used to assure artificial intelligence. (Crown Copyright)

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 4 December that they have developed, alongside a consortium of companies, a new test and evaluation (T&E) capability for the assurance of autonomous systems under Project Zeus.

Led by Radnor Range, the new capability blends live and synthetic evaluation techniques to create a fast and more efficient approach to the T&E of autonomous systems. This involves using a synthetic, multilayered representation of a live range to generate evidence that is then tested and validated in live environments. This approach was successfully demonstrated on behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) over a three-day period at Radnor Range, Wales.

This new agile approach can be used throughout the life cycle of a capability, from the very first concept through to acceptance in service and to end-of-life disposal. This should permit the latest autonomous technology to reach the hands of the military user faster, the MoD detailed.