According to foreign media reports, NATO recently completed its first AI led air defense test. The results show that the AI system performs better than manual operation under the same conditions in terms of warning timeliness, information processing, and interception efficiency. Analysts say that NATO member states have been making frequent moves in the field of AI militarization applications in recent times, and the related trends are worth paying attention to. According to reports verifying autonomous interception capabilities, this AI led air defense confrontation was conducted during the recent "Hedgehog 25" joint exercise at an air force shooting range on the Estonian border. The "Hedgehog 25" exercise gathers about 16000 troops from 12 countries, focusing on the construction of digital battlefields and the military application of AI with algorithm warfare as the core. Both the offensive and defensive sides of this test are led by AI, and the core combat platforms include the latest deployment of NATO's global command and control system and the third-generation Athena command and control system, among other AI platforms. The attacking force consists of a swarm of drones, patrol missiles, and ballistic missile targets. Among them, the drone operation team abandons the traditional "one person, one aircraft" model and relies on AI systems and quantum encryption communication technology to simulate a coordinated attack on a key target of "a certain ally in the eastern wing of Europe". The defense team integrates multiple types of air defense systems such as the British "Aster", American "Patriot", and German IRIS-T SLM to build a cross regional and multi platform joint interception system. The testing will be carried out in three stages. The first stage is the early warning detection and counter reconnaissance of the "contact area". The attacking party conducts a covert surprise attack through night time multi-channel and air ground coordination; Under the unified scheduling of the AI system, the defense team integrates various reconnaissance resources such as the Aegis ship, land-based radar, and satellites to carry out early warning, and realizes the rapid flow of intelligence information between the command post and various defense points, with a focus on testing the AI system's ability to assist in decision-making. The second stage is the core of the "autonomous interception" process. The air defense command center uses algorithmic warfare technology to prioritize and continuously track incoming targets, and independently generate the "optimal interception plan", covering task allocation, first round strike arrangements, and subsequent supplementary interception measures. Subsequently, each air defense system completes simulated strikes according to instructions. The third stage is effectiveness evaluation. NATO has revealed that during testing, the AI system locked onto 477 targets in just 0.3 seconds and generated decision packets containing 27 countermeasures within 14 seconds. At the same time, command efficiency has significantly improved, and AI systems can quickly determine the flight trajectory and formation mode of drones. With the support of neural morphology computing architecture, 2 million dynamic tactical nodes are processed per second, and the synchronization error of 47000 terminal data participating in testing has been reduced to 0.02 nanoseconds, resulting in a 2.5-fold increase in alliance collaboration efficiency. The allocation of firepower is also dynamically adjusted to avoid excessive or insufficient strikes, and the defense and interception efficiency is increased by nearly 47% compared to traditional modes. The algorithm is based on actual combat data. The algorithm and model of the AI system used in this test are constructed based on a large amount of actual combat data in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Ukraine provides practical experience in "tactical cloud unmanned aerial vehicle network relay operations", and Israel provides a new version of the "Iron Dome" air defense system's neural network trajectory prediction algorithm. In the test, the director's department used the built-in reinforcement learning module of the system to absorb 21000 hours of real battlefield data and construct a dynamic battlefield model covering electromagnetic spectrum, terrain features, and personnel status. The command center utilizes the third-generation Athena command and control system to analyze soldiers' physiological data in real-time to optimize combat organization; The hypothetical enemy simulates electronic warfare attacks through an electromagnetic spectrum sandbox to verify the anti-interference ability of the AI system. Analysts point out that this test is a microcosm of the continued active use of NATO AI militarization applications. Since June, the UK has conducted the largest AI military exercise in history, testing for the first time AI assisted decision-making capabilities. The threat localization error of AI systems in air defense training has been reduced to one-third of traditional systems, and response time has been shortened by 40%; Sweden held its first "man-machine confrontation" exercise in the Baltic Sea, with the "Eagle Lion" - E fighter jet carrying the "Centaurus" AI command and control system to complete three air combat simulation training sessions; Germany launches an "airborne launch and attack system" that combines traditional firepower and AI technology to enhance multi domain strike effectiveness; France is promoting the implementation of AI applications in the fields of intelligence and cyberspace. Prior to promoting integrated air defense, Germany launched the "European Sky Shield" initiative, Greece and Poland discussed jointly building a regional joint air defense force, and Baltic and Nordic countries planned to establish a multinational air defense system. However, due to factors such as insufficient equipment compatibility and low intelligence transmission efficiency, the progress of integrated joint air defense operations within NATO is slow. The efficient operation of the AI system in this test provides a technical template for multilateral collaboration. In the context of "rearming Europe", this test has also provided a new platform for deepening military cooperation among multiple European countries, and technology bundling is becoming the core link of NATO's internal cooperation. For example, the data collection system used in the largest AI military exercise in the UK was developed by the French defense company Thales, and the two sides have initiated a system upgrade cooperation; The "Centaur" AI command and control system carried by the Swedish "Eagle Lion" - E fighter jet was developed by the German company Helsing. In addition, countries such as Germany, France, and Italy plan to introduce "collaborative AI technology" in the development of next-generation fighter jets to balance safety requirements and technology integration needs. (New Society)