In Geopolitics Today: Thursday, March 2nd
Chinese Military Study Finds AI Beats Human in Combat Simulation, Russian and Western Diplomats Spar over Ukraine at G20 Summit, and other stories.
Chinese Military Study Finds AI Beats Human in Combat Simulation
A landmark one-on-one combat between drone aircraft operated by AI and a human in a real-world setting was conducted by Chinese military researchers. Superior performance in cutting-edge close-range fighting was demonstrated by the artificial intelligence machine, keeping the human opponent at a constant disadvantage.
The Chinese dogfight involved two small unmanned fixed-wing aircraft — one with an AI pilot on board and the other controlled remotely by a human pilot on the ground. The simulation was reportedly called off by the research team after about 90 seconds because the human controller could not evade its AI opponent. The project was led by professor Huang Juntao of the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Centre, a People’s Liberation Army research institute in the southwestern province of Sichuan that develops and tests futuristic weapon technologies.
Read more about this story here.
The US Sanctions Shipping Companies over Iranian Oil Revenues
A batch of new sanctions aimed at curbing Iran’s energy exports has been announced by the United States. The sanctions target six shipping companies and petrochemical manufacturers located in Iran, China, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.
Washington accuses the companies of engaging in the transportation or sale of Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products. The use of sanctions targeting Iran’s oil revenue has been policy of choice for the Biden administration as interest in reviving the 2015 nuclear arms control deal appears to have faded. The newly levied sanctions come as the US shifts back to a policy of maximum pressure on Iran, seeking to limit Iran’s state revenues and bring about a change in Iran’s government.
Read more about this story here.
France Announces an End to Military Interference in Africa
French President Emmanuel Macron has begun a four-nation tour of Africa in which he plans to renew frayed ties. In the region, anti-French sentiment has run high, and China and Russia are both increasing their influence.
In Gabon, the first stop on his trip, Macron said that the era of French interference in Africa was “well over” and that the country harboured no desire to return to past policies of interfering in Africa. He further announced a “noticeable reduction” in France’s troop presence in Africa “in the coming months” and a greater focus on training and equipping allied countries’ forces.
Read more about this story here.
Russian and Western Diplomats Spar over Ukraine at G20 Summit
Russian and Western diplomats clashed over the Ukraine war as Group of 20 foreign ministers gathered in New Delhi. The Ukraine war was a topic of dispute between Russian and Western diplomats at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected that they would “rise above differences,” but India could only issue a “chair's summary and outcome document” instead of a joint communique following talks. Russia’sLavrov accusedsome Western delegations of turning the G-20 agenda into a farce, while Blinken said the G-20 meeting had been marred by Russia's “unprovoked and unjustified” war against Ukraine. Still, the Bali statement was seen as a diplomatic achievement despite the obvious divide between powers.
Read more about this story here.
The UK Seizes Missiles and Missile Parts Travelling from Iran to Yemen
On the 23rd of February, a small boat heading from Iran to Yemen was chased by a helicopter from the Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster, which subsequently seized Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles and small fins that were identified as jet vanes for medium-range ballistic missiles.
The raid took place after a US aircraft detected the boat, which tried to re-enter Iranian territorial water, but was stopped before it could. The seizure by the Royal Navy is the latest in the Gulf of Oman, following other seizures by French and U.S. forces in the region. The war in Yemen has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with over 150,000 people killed, including over 14,500 civilians.