- Modern-day warfare has changed so dramatically and phenomenally in the last couple of decades that the erstwhile conventional military prowess has made way for defining inventions, where drones and some such other innovative methodologies are coming to the fore. Conventional military warfare has always been dominated by superior air power, duly aided by the navy and land army. The advancement in cutting-edge space and aviation technologies on the back of the fast-emerging artificial intelligence has rendered today’s warfare an entirely different game altogether. Little wonder, every country is in a mad rush to embrace the advancements in warfare technologies to stay abreast. How are we positioned as a nation on this emerging trend?
PC: Greater Kashmir
- Let’s explore what has been initiated by the Indian military brass in commensurate with the ever dynamically emerging modern warfare, where air superiority assumes paramount importance. We have heard about how drones are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in modern warfare, seamlessly getting absorbed into military hardware. AI-powered drones made big news recently when Ukraine penetrated deep inside Russian territory. Of course, India showcased its drone power during the recent Op Sindoor, landing deep inside Pakistani terrorist hideouts/infrastructure with such precision. In a first-of-its-kind operation, Ukrainian forces launched a massive drone attack on Russia’s bomber fleet, reportedly destroying heavy bombers.
PC: WSJ
- In what is being dubbed as Russia’s Pearl Harbour moment, the strikes took place at airbases thousands of kilometers away from the Russia-Ukraine frontline. The drones were smuggled into Russia and placed close to their targets on trucks. Last week, they were activated, exactly 29 years to the day when Ukraine handed over its last nuclear weapons to Russia as part of the Budapest Memorandum. It now appears that the drones were trained on AI algorithms to identify Russian bomber aircraft and hit them in their most vulnerable parts. Thus, Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web again highlights how much drones have transformed warfare. In the Ukraine war, drone innovation is changing in weeks.
PC: THE DRONING COMPANY |
- If 2024 was the year of First-Person-View (FPV) drones, 2025 till last week belonged to fibre-optic FPV drones – an innovation by Russian forces – that are immune to electronic countermeasures. Ukraine has now levelled up with AI-powered drones. Given these developments, war has ensured that AI-driven, autonomous weapons systems are no longer decades away. They are here. To stay ahead of the curve, India too needs to heavily invest in drone R&D. Op Sindoor gave us enough reasons to pursue this course. Plus, if drones worth just a few thousand dollars can take out millions of dollars’ worth of bombers, innovation becomes critical. But it also enhances asymmetric warfare and the longevity of conflicts. India must invest heavily in R&D. Period.
