Subhadra Srivastava
India has moved beyond treating artificial intelligence as experimental research and is now embedding it as a core combat capability. AI is already driving battlefield decisions, logistics, aerial combat support and autonomous surveillance, with more than 300 defence-focused AI projects underway across DRDO, the services, defence PSUs and iDEX startups. According to an official announcement, the Defence Artificial Intelligence Council (DAIC) and Defence AI Project Agency (DAIPA) have been created to accelerate military adoption under a formal roadmap. The message is clear: future conflicts will be shaped not only by weapons, but by algorithms that decide faster than the enemy.
Battlefield intelligence and decision systems
In a press note issued in October 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had stated, 'The battlefield has changed. Wars of tomorrow will be fought with algorithms, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence.' One of the most significant changes lies in command-and-control. AI-enabled data-fusion tools now combine inputs from satellites, drones, UAVs, radars and electronic sensors to create real-time battlefield pictures. These systems assist commanders by recommending optimal responses to threats, significantly shortening decision loops. Early field deployment has shown that AI-supported battle management can reduce reaction time from minutes to seconds — a critical advantage in high-tempo mechanised or air-land engagements.
Autonomous aerial systems and combat assistance
AI is also altering the aerial domain. Unmanned and semi-autonomous aircraft, including TAPAS-BH UAV and the stealth UCAV programme Ghatak, rely on AI for navigation, target recognition and mission autonomy. The Tejas Mk1A, and future AMCA platform, incorporate AI-based pilot workload reduction, predictive flight diagnostics and mission-planning assistance. In parallel, swarm drone technology is being developed for co-ordinated attacks, with AI allocating targets across dozens of autonomous platforms simultaneously.
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