Padmalochan Dash
In hybrid warfare, various methods and components, both conventional and unconventional, are brought to a synchronised usage. Among the important components employed; the electronic warfare system and the unmanned aerial system (UAS) are very much at the forefront of choice because of the low-cost and less-predictability involved in.
Given their affordability even for pitiable adversaries like Pakistan; countries like India, are now becoming prone to hybrid warfare. The recent series of drone misadventures and attacks on India’s critical military infrastructure bearing the signature of the Sino-Pak node is one among the glaring examples of the recent day threats of hybrid warfare, calling for India’s response in apropos.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are cost-effective and swift-tactical options to consider for strategic response to hybrid warfare. But AI and robotics in isolation cannot serve the purpose; rather they need some purposeful integration into certain existing systems, enabling those systems to become immensely efficient and promptly responsive to the adversary’s unconventional behaviour.
Direct combat rebooting
The idea of direct combat rebooting (DCR) can be offered here as the precise rejoinder to hybrid warfare — the warfare of this generation. DCR is an AI-enabled ‘system of systems’ where the resilience of the defence platforms and systems is apt, while its inherent response to enemy activities is quick, wild and automatic. Several platforms, systems, and domains of combat, if AI-embedded, can serve the DCR purpose, thereby transforming India’s combat resilience capability.
AI-enabled ISR system
Responding to hybrid warfare requires an ever-working ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) system, which is swift and piercing. The ISR system is very much in the first line of combat against electronic and hybrid warfare, like the recent drone attacks on Jammu airbase. The ISR system is responsible for threat monitoring and situational awareness. However, in view of the failure in terms of deterring the recent drone attacks, the whole business of the ISR system requires transformation. In the ISR mission, the UAS is among the major components. While UAS carries out ISR missions for several purposes, its integration and control over AI will enhance and multiply its ability and endurance.
Combat simulation exercise
When hybrid warfare is more tactical than strategic, responding to such warfare requires best practices of combat simulation tactics. While combat simulation training is essential for conducting mock war-gaming, AI-enabled simulation training platforms will help enhance the capacity of the tactical mission support system and pre-emptive wisdom of security forces, reinforcing their response capacity to real threat situations.
AI-enabled target recognition
A tactical misadventure like a drone attack requires a proportionate tactical response. Here, the decision of piercing the bull’s eye has to be very much automatic. This is possible, provided, in-depth understanding of the potential target is readily made available to the security forces by the target recognition system. And, in a complex combat environment, AI-enabled target recognition systems can perform miracles. This is because, such systems can assess the mission approaches, forecast enemy behaviour, map the potential supply tracks or blockades of the enemy, aggregate the environmental trajectories with expected vulnerabilities, and finally suggest alternative tactical choices to security forces.
Remote surgical support
Remote surgical support and evacuation activities are the other important elements of DCR. In a real battle theater, DCR will very much depend on the defence force resilience, and defence force resilience will critically depend on support mission platforms. All these things enabled by AI integration are expected to expand the tactical choice options.
Defence logistics
For DCR to sustain another important area of consideration is the AI-enabled defence logistics and supply-chain functions with less human participation. The success of military operations requires the effective handling of defence logistics and supply-chain lines. Given the huge cost and high-scale human operational efforts involved, AI, by its integration into the logistic and supply-chain system, can shrink the cost and diminish the glitches. Also, there are several incongruities and real-time component failures associated with the defence supply-chain, which AI can pre-identify and facilitate quick maintenance and restoration task.
Cyber platform
Cyber platform is the most critical component requiring delicate AI integration. Soon, cyber platforms will underwrite DCR, thus enabling the force to bring the most obscured battle terrains within their reach. With the cybersecurity platform itself remaining prone to sustained attacks in an era of electronic-hybrid warfare, the DCR cannot withstand any damage to cyber systems. On the other hand, a complete AI-enabled cybersecurity platform can have the sovereign capability of withstanding any kind of sabotage and thus sustaining DCR to its fullest enabled competence.
It is evident that AI-embedded defence and weapon systems merit the efficacy of transmuting India’s response capability to hybrid warfare. Integrating AI into systems on various defence platforms on land, water, air, and space can further India’s capacity in DCR. As a result, India’s defence, deterrence and offense capabilities will get endurance, overpowering enemy objectives.
The writer is Post Doctoral Fellow, School of National Security Studies, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. Views are personal.