WASHINGTON, D.C. – Artificial intelligence and its potential for new weapon systems is not a new idea within the Department of Defense. According to a June 2023 DoD report, the department has been “investing in artificial intelligence and responsibly fielding data - and AI-enabled systems for over 60 years.”
The 26-page report titled Data, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence Adoption Strategy: Accelerating Decision Advantage is available at media. defense.gov.
On June 8, Senate bill 4707 was introduced with a goal of amending Title 10 of the United States Code. Title 10 is a massive, multi-volume legal framework that serves as the foundational rulebook for the U.S. armed forces, according to uslawexplained.com/ title_10. Since its inception in 1956, the rulebook has been amended several times to stay current with relevant circumstances. For example, Title 10 was amended in 2019 to include the U.S. Space Force as a new, independent branch of the armed forces.
The current amendment request is to establish a policy for the DoD to maximize autonomy and artificial intelligence systems, to establish requirements relating to departmental review and verification of autonomous weapon systems, and artificial intelligence capabilities and other purposes.
U.S. Sens. Christopher Coons, D-Del., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., introduced the measure, also known as the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act of 2026 (RAIDA). If passed through the U.S. House of Representatives and enacted into law, it will be the first statutory framework governing the DoD acquisition, testing and use of AI-enabled autonomous weapon systems and other AI capabilities, according to www.govinfo.gov/app/ details/BILLS-119s4707is.
“The legislation aims to maximize AI adoption for defense purposes while ensuring that human judgment, safety, and legal compliance remain central to military operations,” the document said.
U.S. Army: Ground and Air Platforms
Defense industry giants revealed a “striking lineup” of next-generation land warfare systems at the October 2025 Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., according to an Army Recognition Group press release.
“Editorial coverage from Army Recognition noted that the 2025 event feels markedly different, with technology maturity and integration taking precedence over concept demonstrations,” the release said. “From autonomous combat vehicles to extended-range artillery prototypes, this year’s displays reflected a unified modernization push across Army programs.”
At the AUSA 2025 meeting, the Army unveiled three new autonomous combat vehicles from Oshkosh Defense. They include:
•An Extreme Multi-Mission Autonomous Missile Launcher Vehicle (X-MAV) – AI-driven navigation, autonomous target acquisition, and vertical launch for loitering munitions and tactical missiles; can operate independently or in swarms.
•A Medium Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle (M-MAV) – Reconfigurable for ISR, electronic warfare, or missile deployment; hybrid-electric propulsion for stealth and endurance.
•A Light Multi-Mission Autonomous Vehicle (L-MAV) – Drone-vehicle hybrid for urban reconnaissance and convoy support, with modular payload and drone launch.
The Army is also fielding AI-powered drones like the General Atomics MQ-9B STOL for short takeoff/landing operations from ships or dirt strips.
Currently, the armed forces, as a whole, operate and are rapidly fielding autonomous ground vehicles (X-MAV, M-MAV, L-MAV); AI-guided loitering munitions (Switchblade 300/600); AI-powered combat drones (MQ-9B STOL); unmanned naval and air platforms in development and Integrated AI targeting and counter-drone systems.
“These systems are part of a broader push toward “machine-speed warfare,” with the goal of maintaining battlefield dominance in contested environments,” the press release said.
S. 4707 (RAIDA 2026)
After introducing the bill to ensure human oversight over AI weapon systems, Coons, ranking member for Defense Appropriations, and Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, both issued press releases to explain their intent of the proposed bill. They are in favor of establishing a framework to guide the rapid adoption and use of AI by the DoD.
Coons wrote that “the legislation comes following attempts by DoD to blacklist and discriminate against certain AI companies for mandating safeguards on new and rapidly evolving technology and prohibiting their use for mass surveillance.”
He stressed that any AI-enabled autonomous systems would be deployed only under guidelines that human operators are able to “control, monitor, detect unintended behavior, and manually disengage or deactivate any deployed AI-enabled system, if necessary.”
Although advocating for U.S. leadership in AI and recognizing the need for rapid expansion, the proposed revision of Title 10 would prohibit AI from making the decision to launch a nuclear weapon. It would also prohibit the DoD from using AI for “warrantless monitoring, tracking, profiling, or targeting of individuals or groups reasonably believed to be located in the United States.” It would also prohibit lethal autonomous force without appropriate human judgment.
“Artificial intelligence will continue to shape the battlespace of the future, and our military must be equipped with every tactical and technical advantage it needs to win in this complex environment,” Reed wrote. “Simultaneously, we must ensure the Department of Defense has a comprehensive AI strategy that establishes sensible safeguards and provides a framework for other nations to ensure global military AI standards are adhered to. “To begin, we should formalize international norms for military and civilian uses of AI to regulate areas where full human control over the technology is essential. The Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act is a practical first step toward ensuring the United States military is a principled leader in AI use,” he said.
The Senate will be in a state work period from June 29 through July 10 and resume the Second Session of the 119th Congress on July 13. As of June 8, S. 4707 has been read twice and has been referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Debi DeSilver is an award-winning, third-generation Oklahoma journalist whose writing career now spans 50 years. She can be reached at silvercitypublishing@