Defence MandateTHE DEFENCE MANDATEIntelligence · AI · Capital
[BRIEFING · Autonomous Systems]

Why autonomy is moving from experiment to doctrine

Field trials across three theatres suggest autonomous platforms are no longer a research curiosity for planners.

Jeyden Thambirajah
Defence Mandate
Published 16 Aug 2026·6 min read
Unmanned aerial system in flight

Three separate field programmes concluded this quarter with a common finding: autonomous platforms performed reliably enough that planners are now writing them into standing doctrine rather than treating them as experimental attachments.

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