Metamorphosing Sri Lankan Old School Military Thoughts by Incorporating Artificial Intelligence to Face the New Normalities

Abstract

The ongoing wave of 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) marks the dawn of a new age for every aspect of our modern society, including the military. While the 4IR is set to disrupt our society, it also provides vast opportunities for militaries to sharpen their operational edge. The second-generation military forces in Sri Lanka are highly regarded in the whole world as we were the first to win hybrid warfare. Yet Sri Lanka has not always leveraged technology as a key force multiplier. Beyond its generation transformation, the Sri Lanka Military forces must ride the wave of 4IR and exploit game changing technologies and concepts, such as Internet of Things (IoT), System of Systems (SoS), Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D printing. To this end, the Sri Lankan Military Forces must also recognize the key challenges of adapting to this ongoing wave of 4IR. The Sri Lankan Military Forces must ensure that its organisational structure, processes, operating concepts, and workforce are best positioned to ride the wave of 4IR by keeping the Air Force at the leading edge.