Israeli defense contractor unveils AI system designed to help military commanders process battlefield data

Israeli government-owned company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has developed a new AI-powered software suite designed to collect and analyze the vast amounts of data generated by battlefield sensors and present relevant information and options to human operators in real time.

The PUZZLE™ Suite is designed to address what the defense contractor describes as the growing problem of “too much information” available to military commanders as the number and capabilities of battlefield sensors continue to expand.

“The main problem on the battlefield is the flood of information,” says Guy Oren, VP Intelligence, Space & Cyber at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

“As the years go by, there are more tools for collecting information, more sensors, and they are developing in terms of accuracy and capacity. [PUZZLE] builds a picture that is relevant to the needs of the user.”

“When someone receives this mass of information and wants to turn it into actionable intelligence, you can't simply sit people down to collect and analyze it the way it was once done,” Oren says. “It's impossible because of the time and because of the quantity.”

The system consists of several subsystems that communicate with one another in real time. One, SIGNAL.AI, collects data from the electromagnetic spectrum, including radio and cellular communications and emails. Another, IMILITE, integrates imagery and geospatial intelligence from multiple visual sources, including satellites and cameras mounted on tactical drones.

But Oren cautioned that AI is not a solution to every battlefield challenge and that human operators remain responsible for making decisions.

“Everyone gets very excited about AI inside systems, but it's something you add. It doesn't stand on its own,” he said. “We don't forget the operational user. The user remains at the center. That's the person who ultimately has to make the decisions. We don't leave that to the machine.”

PUZZLE is designed to present users with only the information considered necessary and relevant, allowing them to make critical decisions as quickly as possible. In a battlefield environment, where decisions can have consequences within seconds, Oren acknowledged that errors by AI algorithms can put human lives at risk.

The system therefore typically presents information in the form of a map showing the geographical area from which a potential threat is coming. Users can also quickly trace the information back to its original source, allowing them to examine the intelligence and understand the context behind a recommended course of action.

The technology has been shaped by trends observed in recent and ongoing conflicts, particularly the war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict with Iran. Oren said militaries have long adapted technology in response to battlefield developments, sometimes making changes “under fire” as events move faster than they would during peacetime.

But the pace of innovation has accelerated in recent conflicts, he said, with adaptations that once took months now sometimes occurring within days or even hours. AI has helped soldiers and engineers respond more rapidly to new tactics and technologies used by their adversaries.

Rafael has also established a new Intelligence and Cyber Division in response to these developments. The division focuses on developing tools for warfighters in intelligence, cyber, space, and electronic warfare.