RM-DEF19-C – Certified AI in Autonomous Ground Convoy Systems

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Certificate Code: RM-DEF19-C
Category Tags: Tactical Autonomy, Military Logistics, Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs)
Associated License: RM-DEF-L – AI Deployment License for Military & Dual-Use Applications
Enforcement Level: High – Logistics Chain Integrity, Multi-Vehicle Coordination, Field Resilience

Overview

This certification governs AI systems responsible for operating autonomous military convoys consisting of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). These systems support tactical resupply, troop support, and logistical mobility across hostile or unpredictable terrain. Certified AI must demonstrate convoy coherence, adaptive rerouting, threat awareness, and real-time human override capability.

Certified systems may be deployed for:

  • Multi-vehicle autonomous supply chains across contested zones
  • Route planning and real-time detour management
  • Escort coordination with manned and unmanned protective elements
  • Damage avoidance, payload prioritization, and fleet health monitoring
  • Integration with ISR platforms, terrain data, and threat maps

Key Focus Areas

  • Path redundancy, convoy spacing, and fallback protocols
  • Dynamic obstacle detection and convoy-wide rerouting logic
  • Inter-vehicle coordination (positioning, velocity, communications)
  • Tamper-resistance, IFF (Identification Friend or Foe), and payload safeguarding
  • AI fallback to teleoperation or immobilization in event of threat anomaly

Standards Addressed

Documentation of:

  • Convoy AI stack components: fleet manager, navigator, obstacle-avoider, resupply scheduler
  • Comms protocols for convoy cohesion in signal-denied or jammed areas
  • Threat identification thresholds and diversion response
  • AI auditability for mission duration, cargo safety, and interaction with personnel

Compliance with:

  • IRBAI Military Logistics Autonomy Guidelines (MLAG)
  • STANAG 4673 – Ground vehicle interoperability for NATO forces
  • MIL-STD-3010 – Mobility operations in complex terrain
  • ISO 26262 (modified) – Functional safety for convoy-critical control systems
  • National road, off-road, or tactical zone operating regulations

Prohibited Practices

  • Operating convoys with lethal payloads under full autonomy without human-in-the-loop
  • Allowing civilian proximity or route overlap without ID safeguards and emergency halts
  • Sharing AI route logic or fleet behavior with non-coalition systems
  • Dynamic replanning based solely on data not validated by sensors or human observers
  • Continuing mission after enemy engagement without route integrity confirmation

Certification Benefits

  • Required for any AI-enabled autonomous ground convoy platform
  • Ensures operational predictability, resilience, and lawful engagement avoidance
  • Recognized by military logistics chains, allied ground forces, and robotics safety councils
  • Enables secure unmanned logistics in high-risk or rapid-response battlefield scenarios

Certification Duration

Valid for 12 months, with reevaluation required upon:

  • Use in active conflict theaters or cross-border logistics
  • Addition of hazardous payloads or new vehicle platforms
  • Expansion to convoy sizes exceeding ten units
  • Incident involving loss of control, tampering, or delivery failure under hostile conditions

Licensing & Certification Process

Phase 1: Define Scope of AI Usage
Organizations must first define the full operational scope of the AI systems being deployed. This includes:
  • Whether the AI operates in a supportive, autonomous, or critical decision-making role
  • Identification of AI functions (e.g., modeling, prediction, control, optimization)
  • Whether human oversight is present during AI decision-making

Phase 2: AI Risk Assessment & Gap Analysis
Organizations must conduct a comprehensive analysis to evaluate AI systems against IRBAI risk classifications:
  • Risk Level Assessment: Classify AI as Minimal, High-Risk, or Prohibited based on function and potential impact
  • Gap Analysis: Compare existing systems against IRBAI standards for:
    • Safety thresholds
    • Ethical guardrails
    • Explainability and auditability
    • Human-in-the-loop (HITL) mechanisms
  • Identify vulnerabilities in safety, legal compliance, or operational transparency

Phase 3: Implementation of Controls
Based on the findings in Phase 2, organizations must implement technical and operational safeguards, such as:
  • AI safety constraints (e.g., output limitations, kill switches, anomaly detection)
  • Bias and fairness filters
  • Toxicity, biohazard, or financial manipulation detection protocols (sector-specific)
  • Explainability dashboards or model cards
  • Audit logs for AI decision chains and training datasets

Phase 4: Compliance Documentation Submission
Organizations are required to submit detailed documentation to IRBAI for review, including:
  • AI Risk Assessment Report (based on IRBAI format)
  • Control & Safeguard Implementation Plan
  • Audit Trail Templates for future reporting
  • Domain-specific documents (e.g., dual-use mitigation, medical safety plans, financial compliance matrices)
  • Signed declaration of responsible AI use and ethical alignment

Phase 5: External Evaluation & Audit by IRBAI
  • Review documentation for accuracy and completeness
  • Conduct interviews with AI developers, compliance officers, and executives
  • Evaluate deployed AI models (live or sandboxed) for compliance
  • Test key scenarios (e.g., edge-case behaviors, failure conditions, ethical outcomes)

Phase 6: Licensing and Certification
Depending on the scope and risk level:
  • Licensing is issued for high-risk AI deployments
  • Certification is granted for individual AI models or systems deemed compliant with safety and ethics protocols

Penalty Framework for Non-Compliance

Tier 1 Violation – High-Risk Breach
Examples:
  • Deployment of prohibited AI (e.g. autonomous weapons, synthetic pathogen creators)
  • Repeated or deliberate non-compliance
  • Obstruction of IRBAI audits or falsification of risk reports
Penalties:
  • Immediate suspension of AI operations and R&D
  • Global blacklisting from IRBAI-compliant AI markets
  • Multi-national export and trade restrictions on AI technologies
  • Financial penalties up to 5% of global revenue
  • Referral to international legal bodies
  • Permanent revocation of IRBAI licenses and certifications

Tier 2 Violation – Compliance Failure
Examples:
  • Unauthorized deployment of high-risk AI models without license
  • Failure to submit audits or compliance reports
  • Violation of dual-use restrictions or safety thresholds
Penalties:
  • Probationary licensing status with stricter oversight
  • Temporary suspension of AI deployment or access to IRBAI infrastructure
  • Monetary fines up to 3% of operational AI budget
  • Mandatory IRBAI-led investigation and re-audit
  • Export restrictions for 12–24 months

Tier 3 Violation – Administrative Lapse
Examples:
  • Delayed documentation or audit submissions
  • Unintentional reporting errors
  • Minor control gaps not resulting in harm
Penalties:
  • Mandatory staff retraining
  • Formal warning and corrective action deadline
  • Fines up to 0.5% of AI-related project budget
  • Increased audit frequency
  • Temporary restrictions on AI feature rollouts

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RM-DEF19-C – Certified AI in Autonomous Ground Convoy Systems

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