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Context:

Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web may have fundamentally transformed the geometry of the battlefield, and potentially changed the face of war for years to come.

Background

Modern war is going through a seismic change. The most prominent drivers of this bounce have a exponential increase of autonomous arms systems (AWS) including drones, missiles and robotics. Ukraine's recent "Operation Spider Web", which included launching inexpensive quadcopters from within Russia, marks a watershed moment in the development of military strategy, highlighting the untouchability of traditional air defense models.

India is also embracing this change. The Indian drone market is estimated to increase to $ 11 billion by 2030, with more than 12% of the global drone industry (Drone Federation of India, 2024). Meanwhile, initiatives such as Operation Sindoor displays India's commitment to integrate AWS in its strategic arsenal.

About Autonomous Weapons Systems (AWS)

AWS refers to arms systems that can choose and attach the target with minimal or no human intervention. According to the UN Institute for Dismount Research (UNIDIR), more than 30 countries are currently developing AWS. These systems expand a wide range of technologies and capabilities.

These are often classified:

How these Systems are Changing Geometries of the Battlefield in Present Times?

• From close matches: In WWI machine guns, formed defensive deadlocks and forced to reconsider the attack strategy. During the WWII Blitzcrayg strategy, a combination of tanks, aircraft and artillery, ignoring static defense and emphasizing mobility.
  • Till the Cold War, the V -2 rocket marked the arrival of the long-range missile Warfare. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMS) redefined detention.
• For remote strike: AI-Saksham drone, cyber warfare and deep-stroke capabilities have changed the fight. From Syria to Nagorno-Karabakh and now Ukraine, drones have become the major tools of asymmetric war.
  • Ukraine's container-launched drone in Operation Spider Web is a textbook example of strategic surprise capable of technical decentralization.
• Emergence of non-state actors: Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon have used Iranian drones to target sophisticated opponents. ISIS deployed commercial drones for IED delivery, redefining low-cost war.
• Fall of traditional defense theory: Ukraine's "Trojan Horse" style drone operation from within the Russian boundaries exposes weaknesses in stable air defense systems and increases the principle of decades.
• India's response: Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACS) developed by BEL, which adds radar, missile system, and real-time data feed, which prevents air threats, including drones.

Significance of AWS for India

• Strategic preventive and second-stroke capacity: long distance drones and hypersonic weapons will increase India's atomic currency through second-stroke capabilities. Systems such as Agni-V, Brahmos-II, and Loitering Munitions prevent traditional and asymmetric hazards.
  • These flocks also support the dominance of non-atomic growth through drones. Example: Agni-V and BrahMos-II expanded the preventive.
• Border Monitoring and National Security: UAVs such as Heron, Rustom-II, and Tapas-BH million and LoC continuously monitor, especially after 2020 Galvan Clash.
  • These are important in difficult areas in Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Northeast. After Galwan, India expanded the deployment of drones with borders.
  • Example: Tapas-BH deployed with Eastern Ladakh
• Counter-Terrorism and Internal Stability: Drone J&K and Naxalite affected areas in the Northeast and rebelly enabled accurate attacks in Hotbeds. AWS reduces collateral damage and human risk during operation. AI-operated drones provide real-time reconnaissance for surgical mission.
  • Example: Drone kills top terrorist in Pulwama
• Disaster management and double use application: Drone is deployed for flood mapping, earthquake rescue and disaster relief distribution. Their ability to reach dangerous or remote areas reduces the response time.
  • In 2023, drones were important in the Odisha Cyclone withdrawal scheme.
  • Example: Drone used post-Odisha cyclone flood.
• Indigenous R&D and Economic Development: India's drone sector is expected to reach $ 11 billion by 2030, which supports India. DRDO's alpha-S, Hell's combat UAV, and startups are making ideas innovations. The Drone Federation of India is collecting the expansion of the industry.
  • Example: Drone Federation targets $ 11b market.

Therefore, the future of war, not only on adopting these techniques but also on regulating them responsibly. India stands at a significant turn, where its technical skills should be matched with strategic foresight. As the battlefield geometry transforms from trench lines to data currents, India's policies should keep pace to ensure peace, preparations and prosperity in the fast military world.

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Source:

Indian Express