"AI Staff Officer" Analyzes Battlefield Data; SK Telecom (SKT) Steps Up Defense AX

[Financial News] SK Telecom (SKT) unveiled an "AI staff officer" that analyzes battlefield data to assist commanders with tactical decisions, along with a low-Earth-orbit satellite-based communications system. The company plans to expand its defense AI transformation (AX) business by combining AI with communications and security technologies.
SKT announced on the 6th that it participated as the only private-sector company in the 2026 Ground Forces Festival, held from the 1st to the 5th at the runway of Gyeryongdae in Gyeryong, Chungcheongnam-do, and showcased and demonstrated defense AX technologies. Organized by Army Headquarters, the event is a military cultural festival where the general public can experience the Army's advanced technologies and equipment.
The centerpiece of the exhibition was the AI operations support system "AI staff officer." It uses a platform that connects the military's diverse datasets, an ontology that structures the meanings and relationships within the data, and a digital twin that recreates real battlefield environments in virtual space to support commanders' situational awareness and decision-making.
The system connects and analyzes information generated not only by troops and equipment but also by drones, robots, and sensors, providing necessary information in a timely manner. SKT designed the exhibition so visitors and military personnel could follow the entire process, from data collection and analysis to recreating battlefield situations in virtual space and supporting decision-making.
SKT also introduced communications and security technologies designed to support future combat systems. It combined low-Earth-orbit satellite technology, which can establish communications networks in environments where terrestrial communications infrastructure is difficult to use, with security technologies such as quantum encryption and stealth Wi-Fi. The focus was on building a communications environment in which AI systems, drones, robots, and other assets can exchange information in real time.
For the exhibition, SKT collaborated with SK telink, Techtree Innovation, Enhans, Mercury, KCS, and PABLO AIR. The company plans to continue working with its partners to support the military's AX transformation and identify technologies and business opportunities for application in the defense sector.
Kim Ku-young, head of SKT's Enterprise Division, said, "In future battlefields, AI that rapidly analyzes vast amounts of information and supports decision-making, along with the stable and secure communications infrastructure underpinning it, will become even more important." He added, "We will actively expand our defense AX business by developing AI and communications technologies into solutions optimized for defense operations."
[email protected] Yoon Hong-jip Reporter