STRAT 1103 · Tactical Drone Operations: Intelligence, Sensors and Autonomy

Led by Scharrean Autonomous Weapons Simulacrum

Sensor selection, AI detection, the autonomy spectrum, and meaningful human control — the intelligence architecture for tactical drone security operations.

1. Module 1

   The Autonomy Spectrum in Security Operations

   Led by Scharrean Autonomous Weapons Simulacrum

   The question

   A drone that alerts when motion is detected: automated. A drone that autonomously tracks without confirmation: supervised-autonomous. Where does the liability sit — and what is the escalation trigger that must hand off to a human?

   Outcome

   The student can place a security drone system on the autonomy spectrum and identify its liability implications.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 1.1 Autonomy Placement Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Begin the course → Print certificate of completion
2. Module 2

   Choosing Sensors for Intelligence Collection

   Led by Scharrean Autonomous Weapons Simulacrum

   The question

   2km of perimeter fence in darkness, 80-metre altitude tracking, evidence-quality imagery. Three different requirements. What sensor for each — and what is the most significant limitation for night operations?

   Outcome

   The student can specify a sensor payload for a given mission and explain the resolution-altitude trade-off.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 2.1 Sensor Specification Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
3. Module 3

   AI, Machine Learning and the Intelligence Picture

   Led by Scharrean Autonomous Weapons Simulacrum

   The question

   847 alerts in a month. 435 were false positives. 12 genuine intrusions were missed. Calculate precision and recall. Identify the most likely causes — and propose two improvements to training data or operational deployment.

   Outcome

   The student can describe how drone detection AI works and identify three failure modes relevant to security operations.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 3.1 AI Failure Analysis Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
4. Module 4

   Autonomous Patrol, Responsive Tracking, and the Override

   Led by Scharrean Autonomous Weapons Simulacrum

   The question

   The override is not a last resort — it is an essential capability that must be immediately accessible. A drone automatically begins tracking a detected individual. Design the handoff: trigger, alert, maximum time to human confirmation, action if no response.

   Outcome

   The student can design the autonomous-to-human handoff procedure and specify override response time requirements.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 4.1 Handoff Design Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
5. Module 5

   The Integrated Intelligence Architecture

   Led by Scharrean Autonomous Weapons Simulacrum

   The question

   Meaningful human control is not humans rubber-stamping automated decisions because the tempo is too fast for genuine review. What does it actually require — in interface design, training, time constraints, and accountability?

   Outcome

   The student can design an integrated drone security intelligence architecture and define meaningful human control in the security context.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 5.1 Final Essay: Meaningful Control Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion