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Artificial intelligence: the hope, the hype and the real-world reality

20th July 2026 - 11:22 GMT | by Damian Kemp in London, UK

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Whitespace’s AI capability, Saga, has been integrated into HMS Prince of Wales. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown Copyright)

Artificial intelligence has supported C2 systems and decision-making for more than two decades. It has gradually built up a head of steam in the 2020s, but what is it achieving today and what role could it play in the future?

The launch of Operation Epic Fury by US and Israeli forces against Iran on the last day of February saw the latest generation of weapons deployed in massive numbers. It had a declared aim of depleting Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, missile production facilities, naval forces and critical security infrastructure.

Speaking less than two weeks into the operation which ran until late May, Adm Brad Cooper, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), highlighted not only the thousands of bombs and missiles used in the first days but also the evolving nature of modern warfare.

While the first operational use by US forces of

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Damian Kemp

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Damian Kemp


Damian Kemp has worked in the defence media for 25 years covering military aircraft, defence …

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