Stories
How Artificial Intelligence is Rapidly Transforming Modern Warfare
- •Military forces globally are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence to analyze vast amounts of surveillance footage, enhance drone navigation, and identify threats more efficiently.
- •Major powers including the United States, China, and India are heavily investing in autonomous systems, combat air teaming, and border security applications.
- •While AI greatly speeds up decision-making and data processing, significant concerns remain regarding system errors, accountability, and the ethical implications of autonomous weapons.
- •Beyond active combat, AI plays a crucial role in predictive equipment maintenance, cybersecurity, and helping military planners manage complex logistics and supply chains.
Key Questions Answered
AI software is utilized to quickly scan through vast quantities of drone footage, satellite imagery, and radar data, picking out objects or flagging changes that might otherwise take intelligence officers hours to examine manually. For instance, the US military initiated Project Maven in 2017 to analyze drone footage, and algorithms now assist in identifying possible military threats, tracking objects, and assessing radar information during large-scale operations.
Many small drones rely heavily on vulnerable radio signals and GPS to navigate, which can be severely disrupted by electronic warfare such as jamming. AI-enabled drones equipped with cameras and specialized software can recognize visual features like roads or buildings to navigate independently, and continue tracking objects even if connection with the human operator is lost.
India is actively developing domestic AI systems dedicated to border security, surveillance, cybersecurity, and unmanned aircraft operations through the Ministry of Defence, DRDO, and local startups. Key initiatives include Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) program, which plans to deploy unmanned aircraft capable of supporting manned fighter jets and carrying out surveillance missions.
