Are Surface-to-Air Weapons Officers at Risk Due to AI?

Manage personnel and weapons operations to destroy enemy positions, aircraft, and vessels. Duties include planning, targeting, and coordinating the tactical deployment of field artillery and air defense artillery missile systems units; directing the establishment and operation of fire control communications systems; targeting and launching intercontinental ballistic missiles; directing the storage and handling of nuclear munitions and components; overseeing security of weapons storage and launch facilities; and managing maintenance of weapons systems.

The occupation of "Artillery and Missile Officers" is assigned an automation risk of 0.0%, indicating it is highly resistant to automation through current technologies. This low risk stems from the complex and dynamic nature of their work, which requires critical human judgment, adaptability, and leadership in high-stakes environments. While the military embraces advanced technology and some aspects of the artillery and missile systems can be automated (such as targeting algorithms and launch protocols), the officer's core duties involve responsibilities that go beyond routine or rule-based tasks. The context in which these officers operate—often under uncertain, rapidly changing, and potentially hostile situations—demands keen situational awareness and nuanced decision making that artificial intelligence and automation cannot yet replicate. Among the most automatable tasks within this occupation are the calculation of firing solutions using computer-assisted tools, the monitoring of equipment diagnostics through automated systems, and routine data entry or reporting about logistics and maintenance. These tasks are primarily procedural and can be handled by modern software or automated platforms with high efficiency. However, these tasks represent only a small fraction of the artillery and missile officer's overall responsibility. Any automation in these areas is designed to augment, not replace, human operators, providing them with faster and more accurate information while preserving their central command role. Conversely, the three most resistant tasks include battlefield decision-making under uncertainty, leading and motivating personnel, and strategic coordination across diverse military units. These tasks rely heavily on bottleneck skills such as advanced judgment (Expert level), complex problem-solving (Expert level), and interpersonal leadership (Advanced to Expert level). Effective execution of these responsibilities requires the integration of tacit knowledge, real-time communication, and an understanding of human behavior and organizational objectives—all areas where current AI technologies fall short. As a result, the unique blend of technical, cognitive, and social skills exhibited by artillery and missile officers ensures their critical role remains secure from automation for the foreseeable future.