Every new AI military drone creates a target for enemy hackers, cyber expert warns
Despite the transformative nature of AI drone warfare, it makes systems vulnerable to sabotage
Every AI-powered drone defence system promised under Sir Keir Starmer’s new Defence Investment Plan will give Britain more firepower - but also another target for enemy hackers.
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Graeme Stewart, Head of Public Sector at Check Point, told LBC that the UK’s £5 billion push into drones and autonomous weapons must be matched by a major effort to protect the systems behind them.
Sir Keir has unveiled an additional £15 billion in defence funding over four years, around half the £28 billion military chiefs said was needed to keep Britain secure.
The package includes £5 billion to expand the armed forces’ use of drones and autonomous weapons, as well as plans for a “hybrid navy” combining conventional warships with self-controlled vessels and AI-enabled systems.
Mr Stewart said one of the biggest shifts in the plan was the move towards drone-led warfare, arguing Ukraine had shown how effective the technology can be on the battlefield.
“If used properly and if used effectively, they are a devastating combat tool. Absolutely devastating,” he said.
However, despite the transformative nature of AI drone warfare, it makes systems vulnerable to sabotage.
Read More: Starmer’s defence plan will only work if Britain backs its own drone manufacturers, industry warns
“The drone systems need to be protected as well,” he said.
He said there were several ways an adversary could try to disrupt them.
One was jamming - including GPS jamming, already used by Russia - while another was “signal intercept”, where an attacker tries to break the chain of communication between the drone and its operator.
A third route would be to target the command and control systems from which those platforms are launched and directed.
Mr Stewart said the cyber threat is evolving just as quickly as the hardware itself, with AI increasingly being used by attackers too.
“You've got this mad situation where you've got autonomous vehicles running on AI being attacked by the bad guys using AI techniques to try and take it down,” he said.
He warned that the Ministry of Defence would now have to expand its cyber protection at the same time as it scales up autonomous capability.
“The MoD is going to have to rapidly scale up its ability to protect these systems at the same time as is as it's delivering them,” he said.
Mr Stewart added that the spending cannot just be about buying more hardware.
“A lot of this spend isn't just on the physical machinery, but it's on protecting the electronics of the systems as you deploy it,” he said.
“That includes down to making sure that you're protecting the AI level as well.”
He added that AI-powered drones can reduce both manpower requirements and operational risk, while also sharply cutting costs compared with traditional weapons systems.
For Britain, that shift is not limited to aircraft.
Mr Stewart said “drones is a catch-all term”, covering not only aerial systems but also boats and submersibles - including “literally AI-powered submarines”.
That is the thinking behind the Government’s proposed “hybrid navy”, with autonomous and AI-enabled systems working alongside a conventional force rather than replacing it altogether.
LBC has contacted the MoD for comment.