Full integration of command and control systems and use of AI will give Armed Forces significant advantage on battlefield - Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lebedenko

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have begun the transition toward fully integrating command and control systems into a unified whole, automating all processes, and actively utilizing artificial intelligence for data analysis. This will enable faster and more effective decision-making, enhance the protection of personnel and equipment, and gain an advantage over the enemy.

Brigadier General Andrii Lebedenko, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under Oleksandr Syrskyi has stated this during a speech at Drone Autonomy 2026 in Lviv.

"An important aspect on the battlefield remains the integration of various systems into a single whole. We are talking about air defense, electronic warfare, UAVs, reconnaissance, and weapons systems. Previously, they were self-sufficient — today, this needs to change. They are already deeply interconnected, and this interaction must occur not only at the command level but also at the level of tactical processes to enable rapid decision-making. We have begun active work on ‘Command & Control’ systems. Headquarters at various levels must be integrated into these modern command and control processes — both in terms of personnel and weaponry. We already have projects underway,” stated Andrii Lebedenko.

The general also explained the important role of artificial intelligence in military affairs.

"Today, in any command center, everyone is engaged in planning and processing large data sets. Now imagine that all these processes are handled by artificial intelligence in a matter of seconds. This is data analysis spanning months and years. We no longer spend hours or days — only minutes — to obtain our own high-quality, verified information summary that can simulate a future battle and its development scenarios," Lebedenko explained.

He gave another example: in the event of massive enemy air strikes, it is difficult for a person to quickly process a large dataset — to identify targets, set priorities, and select weapons, etc. This is precisely where algorithms and neural networks should come to the rescue. They are capable of instantly analyzing information and assigning tasks to the appropriate weapons.

"This is the ideal model we are striving for, and we already have all the prerequisites for its implementation. We already have our own interceptor drone systems, which in the future will only need to receive the target’s precise coordinates. We also currently use systems that effectively filter sensor data and weed out up to half of the false targets,” the general added.

Furthermore, he noted that the use of artificial intelligence will enhance the protection of military equipment and personnel. In his view, the future on the battlefield lies with solutions that enable the prevention of damage, rather than merely withstanding an attack.

"Today, the issue of creating and equipping equipment with active protection systems is acute. Heavy equipment is often absent from the battlefield precisely because of its high vulnerability to drones. Therefore, it is necessary to create comprehensive active protection systems — integrated solutions capable of detecting, identifying, and effectively countering threats. We already have individual components — net launchers, smart turrets — but they are not integrated into a single system. It is precisely such an integrated system that could become the game-changer that alters the course of the war,” emphasized Andrii Lebedenko.

The Deputy Commander-in-Chief stressed that the integration of modern command-and-control systems and AI is not a prospect for the future, but an urgent need today. This will dramatically increase the speed of decision-making, the accuracy of planning, and the effectiveness of troop management at all levels.