Scope of Robots in Indian Army

Artificial intelligence can be viewed as the main component of industrial revolution 4.0 and is a major technological advancement of current era. Artificial intelligence has paved its way across the scientific and commercial realms very successfully and is definitely a part of day to day lives of civilians in the form of gadgets, mobiles, computers, social media etc. Along with this, the modern-day warfare has also seen substantial reliance on artificial intelligence. One of the most profound changes in modern warfare is the utility of artificial intelligence in the form of Robots in armies. The usage of artificial intelligence in warfare has been a contentious issue as although it has the potential to radically transform the modern-day warfare but at the same time it also faces some ethical and technical concerns. This paper would try to highlight upon the requirement of robots in the battlefield and discourse of future of robotics in Indian army and related advantages of robotics in military usage. This paper towards its end would also try to elaborate on several suggestions which might help in improving India’s stance in these matters.

Human resources are the most vital resource of any organization and human life is the most valued form of being. Warfare has always been known to be most destructive in terms of human life as well as other resources. World war 2 witnessed 70- 80 million casualties which was a major setback for the entire humanity. Introduction of robotics in the modern-day warfare is a double-edged sword as it not only aims at safeguarding human resources of an army but also accomplishing facets in a war which may or may not be possible for humans. Robots can perform several tasks more safely and efficiently which might otherwise endanger lives of soldiers at a war hence, militaries aim to offload a lot of their tasks which are otherwise taxing on humans upon robots. Humans loose effectiveness after certain number of hours and require continuous physical & psychological care. As it has been observed by Karl Von Clauzwitz in his analysis of Napoleans’s Russian Campaign that his army perished because of its own efforts thereby implying that Napolean arrived in Moscow with a shrunken army, exhausted soldiers and worn out horses[1] and therefore could not fight the war efficiently there. Similarly, the main reason why Hitler’s operation Barbarossa failed was because the army was physically exhausted and could not survive in the harsh climate. Therefore, one major advantage that Unmanned systems like robots have over manned armies is that they can be functional in harsh environments and even biologically& chemically contaminated surroundings. Robots can sustain extremes of operating situations, like high ‘G’ turns that can render aircraft pilots inoperative. Unmanned systems can fly faster and turn harder. This is equally true for all domains may it be air, ground or maritime[2].

India on the other hand being the IT hub has a huge advantage in this field. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during DefExpo (Chennai) in 2018 said that “New and emerging technologies like AI and Robotics will perhaps be the most important determinants of defensive and offensive capabilities for any defence force in the future. India with its leadership in IT domain, will strive to use this technology tilt to its advantage”[3].

In pursuance of all these claims, organisations like Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and several other public and private institutions have been working towards development of Artificial intelligence for military purposes. Multi Agent Robotics Framework (MARF) is one such initiative which is expected to bring revolutionary changes in the Indian military’s warfare capabilities. This initiative aims at utilising existing robots like normal wheeled robots in collaboration with newly developed technologies in form of snake Robots, wall climbing robots etc. all these new robots are being designed to be functional in most rough terrains and altitudes. With the changing nature of warfare , the demands at battlefield are also changing. One such challenge is tackling terrorism and conducting counter insurgency or counter terror operations. India in terms of its geological and political climate has always faced these issues. The Ministry of Defence and Indian army have been inclined towards employing substantial numbers of robotics surveillance mechanisms which will help in monitoring terrorist activities and also successful transmission of intelligence reports. Such robotics can be used in Jammu and Kashmir and also in instances like the Pathankot attack. Other than this Robots are also being developed for defusing bombs, throwing grenades and handling guns in such anti terrorist operations. ‘Netra’ UAV is being developed for surveillance and recognisance operations for counter-terrorist operations in urban as well as jungle terrain[4]. Not just this, robots can also be used to tracking injured soldiers in a war and also treating them. The Indian army is also being supported by Niti Aayog’s initiative ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’ under which several research projects related to artificial intelligence and robotics are undertaken. The global security circumstances have changed drastically in terms of lethality and hence sticking to conventional methods of warfare is obsolete and utility of robots in armies cannot be ignored.

Although India has an edge in IT yet it is underutilised in every aspect. On paper several projects have been initiated yet their implementation still remains sceptical. India needs to view AI as a critical element of national security in view of the advancement the world has achieved, and especially in view of neighbour China’s rapid progress in the field[5].

China has clearly marked its vision to rule the AI realm in coming years and is way ahead of India in terms of its military capabilities when robotics are concerned. Past several years have witnessed a stringent efforts by not just china but also all major superpowers like USA, Russia etc. to prioritise development and application of AI for military purposes. Several roadmaps are being formulated in order to ensure worldwide dominance in this field as it clearly implies dominance of armed forces as well. India on the other hand still remains way behind these countries in terms of its AI capabilities and hence could be majorly disadvantaged in near future if considerable advancements in these fields are not made. Although the Government of India and Ministry of defence has claimed keen interest in this issue by engaging several prestigious institutions like IITs, DU and various other Technology and Science institutes are being encouraged to undertake programmes for development of AI for military purposes and also by allocating more and more funds for digitalising India yet these efforts can be termed as insignificant as compared to countries mentioned above and especially china. This imbalance of power created by the AI could prove to be a major disadvantage for India’s military capabilities and its ability to protect its borders and international intrusion. In light of the recent tensions with China and Pakistan, India should prioritise development of AI and robotics for military purposes and should realise that the IT sector is being highly underutilised which if constructively used could prove to be a boon for its military capabilities when AI is concerned.

Several recommendations can be made in order to improve the existing state of robotics and AI in India. The first and foremost need is to recognise the changing state of warfare as well as acknowledging the existing relations with other countries like the persisting tensions with China and Pakistan and then formulating a concrete roadmap for catering those needs with the help of robotics in Indian army. Then there is an immediate need to prioritise Research and Development in this field as well as ample budget location for bringing the plans laid down into action. India’s intellectual capabilities need to be recognised and IT sector as well as educational institutions like IITs etc. should be encouraged more and more to develop robots and AI gadgets to cater the needs of the Indian army. AI-based robotics,like unmanned combat platforms and vessels are likely to accrue distinct advantages for the military in battle action, targeting, collaterals, costs, economy, etc., and needs to be given high priority for development[6]. Robotics and AI have huge potential of determining nature of modern day warfare and hence should be timely acknowledged by India so that it is not left behind in the efforts to attain global leadership in this realm and does not face any major disadvantages in the battlefield as compared to other major players.