Indian Navy to Showcase Cutting-Edge Technologies in Futuristic Warfare
The Indian Navy is rapidly embracing advanced technologies like cyber, artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and more to propel itself into the future of naval warfare. With a focus on autonomous unmanned vessels, new-generation combat management systems, software-defined radios, and advanced data links, the Indian Navy is on track to revolutionize its capabilities.
A major step in this direction will be the upcoming sea trial of the Navy’s first ocean-going autonomous boat, designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Developed by the Navy’s Weapons and Electronic Systems Engineering Establishment (WESEE) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), this 15-metre long vessel will navigate through maritime traffic with ease. The trial, scheduled between Mumbai and Goa after the monsoons, will showcase the boat’s capabilities.
The Navy’s Integrated Unmanned Roadmap outlines its plans to integrate autonomous aerial, surface, and underwater platforms of various sizes and types over the next decade. These platforms, similar to those already being experimented with by countries like the US and China, offer cost-effective alternatives to manned warships and submarines. They have the potential to revolutionize warfare, particularly with the introduction of hypersonic or directed-energy weapons.
Furthermore, the Indian Navy plans to commence testing its indigenous new-generation combat management system (CMS) from August onwards. Serving as the nerve centre of a warship, this CMS integrates all sensors, such as radars, sonar, and electronic warfare systems with various weapons and facilitates communication with other platforms through data links. The CMS developed by WESEE will equip all warships commissioned between 2024 and 2029, providing an enhanced user-interface, faster reaction time, and built-in decision-support tools powered by AI algorithms.
In collaboration with BEL, WESEE has also developed three variants of software-defined radios (SDRs) with top-level encryption. These SDRs, which are progressively replacing older VHF radio sets across the Navy’s warships, submarines, and aircraft, offer multimedia capabilities and improved data transmission over longer ranges. The naval communications variant (SDR-NC) has already been deployed, while the tactical variant (SDR-Tactical) is currently undergoing installation. Trials for the fighter aircraft variant (SDR-FA) are expected to be completed within a year.
Additionally, WESEE is working on the development of the new-generation Data Link-II system. This system, which has an earlier version deployed on Navy vessels, aircraft, submarines, and shore establishments, aims to incorporate upgraded features such as integrated platform time synchronisation, a modular and scalable open architecture, enhanced fault tolerance, and hot redundancy.
The Indian Navy’s efforts to harness cutting-edge technologies underscore its commitment to stay at the forefront of naval warfare capabilities. By integrating autonomous unmanned vessels, advanced combat management systems, software-defined radios, and data links, the Navy is poised to strengthen its operational efficiency and effectiveness. These innovations will contribute to a more robust and agile Indian Navy capable of meeting the challenges of future warfare head-on.
