thyssenkrupp Marine Systems’ (TKMS) marine electronics division Atlas Elektronik is taking on the principal role in the GhostPlay@SEA research project as consortium leader in the development of new AI tactics for maritime defense.
GhostPlay@SEA is a project funded by the Bundeswehr technology program dtec.bw, which builds on the results of the original GhostPlay project.
GhostPlay created a so-called ‘Defense Metaverse’, a high-performance simulation environment for AI-based combat simulations on land and in the air.
This vision is now being expanded to include the maritime dimension. The aim of the project is to explore AI-supported methods in order to develop and evaluate new and proven tactical behavior patterns and decision-making processes for naval warfare. In addition, the transfer of virtually trained tactics to real hardware will be researched and piloted.
Atlas Elektronik will contribute to the project with its knowledge in the maritime sector and play a central part in the development of tactical artificial intelligence in the maritime defense industry.
“GhostPlay@SEA aims to fundamentally change the way future naval operations are planned and conducted and to further expand the technological leadership of all partners involved. In the virtual environment, highly complex combat situations can be realistically simulated, and optimal tactics can be safely tested,” Jeronimo Dzaack , Co-Head of Future Tech, explained.
By using AI and simulation technologies, future threat scenarios – from drone swarms to autonomous submarines – can be simulated in advance within a risk-free virtual environment.
“This makes it possible to test and optimize tactical concepts at an early stage, even before real systems are deployed. The knowledge gained in this way flows directly into the development of new maritime defense technologies,” continued Dzaack.
The GhostPlay@SEA consortium includes major players from science and industry, the Helmut Schmidt University/University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, HENSOLDT, 21Strategies, Rheinmetall and Borchert Consulting & Research AG.
The project underlines the innovative strength of the German defense industry in the age of digitalization, it was concluded.