Introduction
Warfare in modern times has seen a major change in its conduct. From delivering ordnance on target to destroy and incapacitate enemy targets and troops it is becoming increasingly important to also disable enemy Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems. Soldiers have to transform into tech savvy troops who have to fully exploit digital technologies for winning wars. For this, real time situational awareness, rapid processing of multi spectral data and secure communications, accurate and rapid decision making, precision targeting and quick battle damage assessment has become a necessity for wiring the warrior.
Advances in the battle winning technologies of Big Data Analytics, AI powered Decision Support Systems together with game changing Robotisation, Miniaturisation and Automation of various systems that reduce own casualty risks and deliver the desired effect upon the enemy forces are changing the ways of war fighting.
BIG DATA and Situational Awareness
The situational awareness ecosystem has moved rapidly to a level where the multi dimension multi-spectral data from multifarious sensors in multiple locations feed into one combat information centre to create the composite battlefield map. This data can be from Radio Frequency, Electro-Optics Visible and Infra Red, Space based Imagery, SIGINT, COMINT, HUMINT, ELINT, acoustics, magnetic variations, etc. It is apparent that the volume, velocity, variety of data combined with its veracity has made it no longer possible for a single or a group of soldiers to be able to sift the signals from the noise and generate actionable inputs for combat action. This presents several challenges which range from data collection, assimilation and analysis all of which require advanced software, appropriate hardware to support the software, the data banks, applications and data servers and a complex grid of point to multipoint and multipoint to point ruggedized networks with security overlays.These are technologies at various readiness levels there is potential for foreign and Indian companies to share the range of products that can support BIG data analytics for the wired warrior.
AI and DSS
The need and applicability for AI is more urgent in the midst of battle where split second assessments can make the difference between victory and defeat. But, where there is the largest demand for situational awareness and information but the least physical access to it is in the field. In that sense, for combat, AI is less artificial and more augmented in nature. Such applications combine a computer’s fail proof data retrieval and information accuracy with human judgement thus minimizing risks, maximising benefits and providing actionable inputs for rational decision making and appropriate military intervention. However, AI solutions are only as good as the training data that it is provided with for the systems to machine learn heuristics. With digitisation, data is now possible to be packaged, sorted and keyed in to appropriate systems to provide the required training data to make high performance robust and reliable AI based solutions for a variety of battle field applications. After having built the ability to process BIG DATA with AI systems the wired warrior would be able to not only use raw data of the present but also leverage previous data and generate predictive algorithms for aided decision making in the future. This is the foundation of informationised war of the future.
Robotics Automation and Miniaturisation (RAM)
Yet another technology that is dramatically impacting the deployment of troops in battle are those being developed in the autonomous-vehicle space that would leverage new innovations in Robotics, Automation and Miniaturisation. This offers a viable means of gaining information, conducting surveillance of assets and infrastructure, delivering products and may be the future face of battle-field transportation. In that sense, there is now the possibility of swarms of low visual and radar visibility unmanned vehicles carrying precision munitions that can overwhelm conventional defences and deliver attacks on the logistics and communication rear echelons suddenly leaving the troops in the front without ammunition or support. With the rear destroyed the frontline troops become easy targets.
Conclusion
Technology is rapidly evolving to provide much longer endurance, greater range of operations and through more and more sophisticated payloads deliver better operational outcomes. These include artificial intelligence that would enable a robotic and miniaturised vehicle to automatically perceive and respond to its changing environment, launch itself, proceed to machine learnt acoustic, magnetic or electromagnetic signature destinations, deliver a product or information with least human intervention at the last mile. Such innovations provide endless possibilities in the new way of war. They reduce risk to own forces, minimise casualties and cause disproportionate damage and disruption in the enemy ranks. Indeed, the the wired warrior is the new paradigm of modern warfighting.
[1] The author is former Senior Consultant, NITI Aayog and presently Hony Secretary, Society for Aerospace Maritime and Defence studies, Adviser Material Recycling Association of India, Distinguished Fellow, Center for Air Power Studies, New Delhi, Member Governing Council SIOS and Global Vice President(Defence and Aerospace),MSMECCII.