FUTURE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BASED AUTONOMOUS WAR …(PART 4)

Operational Use of AWS

Surveillance / Intelligence Mode

Using a pre-programmed route / flight, AWS can be used to carry out surveillance / intelligence of a designated area or specific target. Military and civilian equipment identification is carried out by real time search feed. Fresh data is compared with a compiled database repository and carries out AI based correlation and provides real time solutions / and data analysis to command post. The historical data related to operations if available will provide reference for better analysis and accuracy. Some systems with facilities as mentioned are enumerated below:

• Optical System

• Wireless Infra-Red (IR) surveillance cameras with wide angled view of more than 75°, optical range of more than 1000m during day, 100m in night. It should have capability to zoom in and out and magnification of 10 or more.

• High-Definition smart camera with ability to auto-focus.

• Real time recording and storing of data both on-board and at ground-based station.

• Have ability for detection and recognition of humans (with auto-alarm facility) as also have facial recognition features.

Electronic Warfare (EW)

One of the major tasks in electronic warfare operations is corroboration of intelligence that requires analysis and interpretation of huge number of intercepts or generation of Common Operating Intelligence Pictures (COIP). The analysis, visualisations, interpretation, and cooperation of such unstructured data is a challenging task. Further the predictive analysis of future operations events requires the support of AI to plug the gaps. Two scenarios are described in the realm of electronic warfare to highlight threat manifestation:

• Electronic Support Measure (ESM). The AWS is designed to scan entire range of adversaries’ known operational frequencies. Several EW-AWS are deployed and they lie in wait. They are activated once the adversary equipment starts radiating radio frequencies (RF). Once the AWS intercept RF and fix location, they give indication to the master station / operator to take the next offensive action.

• Electronic Counter Measures (ECM). Once the specific frequency of adversary is known, a second set of AWS are deployed. The number and type will depend on whether the intention is to cause interference in the RF domain or jam the network. The power output capability of each AWS would decide upon the number required to achieve desired results.

Damage or Destruction Mode

The following scenarios give examples of how dangerous AWS can be:

• Loitering Munition[i]. These are weapons, which are released by a mother aircraft in preselected area, remain in flight in glide or powered mode. They are pre-fed with enemy weapons location data including pictures in multiple formats for shape and size correlation and identification. The high-definition cameras in search mode — detect, identify correlate, analyse, and initiate action for destruction of enemy target.

• Swarm Attack[ii]. An extension of what happened in Armenia; tens of large sized AWS, armed with explosive, having impact and RF fuse, equipped with Inertial Navigation System (INS) and auto-pilot, and fed with way points to the intended target are set off. They fly at 30 m above obstruction level (AOL) TERCOM guidance system) with a very low detection probability. They carry out attack sequentially or simultaneously. When deployed in swarm, the effect can be quite devastating.

• Hailing Application (Apps). A sizeable number of AWS are armed with explosives and equipped with ‘Hailing Apps’ (like taxi hailing app (THA)). A grid of smart mobile phones broadcast trigger signal to reach the point of impact and start generating signal. The AWS spread over an area; gets activated, responds to the hailing signal, and start homing towards designated destination at a specific time. Before anyone reacts to the developing situation, the explosives are detonated.

• Kamikaze Attacks[iii]. To ensure surprise, giving least reaction time to react and a sure shot kill, some Autonomous Weapons are designed for Kamikaze attacks. Loaded with high explosives and making use of their leftover fuel and kinetic energy, they act as dangerous weapons.

Modern Technologies. The large sized AWS may be used as follows:

• Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) and Others. The DEW, Laser guns, Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and high-powered microwaves are a means of destroying hostile war waging equipment. However, India is just in nascent stage of developing these methodologies. They will certainly be quick to deploy and initiate action.

• Soft-kill: Since any drone will have a Radio Frequency (RF) based controller both for flying and for triggering explosives, high powered jammers will be able to jam and render them useless. There will be requirement of a highly efficient RF detection and analysing system or else broad band jammer must be used.

Nano-weapons as AWS[iv]

Nano-weapons are the weapons of the upcoming future wars. They are going to be used by militaries to conduct silent and deadly warfare in ways that are going to annihilate the enemy. It is going to be silent, precise, and lethal. The surprise will be in form of when (timing), from where (direction) and on which target. Nano-weapons, due to their size, would also have low detection probability. This would allow for them to fly out separately, undetected, before collecting at a point/grid/radar that they wish to destroy or jam. By then, detecting them would have little impact as evasive action would not be possible. Their use over long distance would make it easier for commanders to attack reserves. This could be done by carrying them close to the intended target in a mother carrier and then releasing gradually. This point becomes even more poignant when these nano-weapons are made for single use (self-destruct mode) or kamikaze mode.

AI in Administrative Fields. These include:

• Infrastructure development and maintenance.

• Diagnostic tools for repair and maintenance.

• Healthcare.

• Human Resource management.

• Logistics and supply chain management to include supplies, spare parts and accessories.

Countering China and Pakistan

Both the Northern and Western neighbours viz China and Pakistan have long standing border dispute with India. The use of Semi-AWS weapons by Azerbaijan and supplied by Turkiye have not been reacted to by any country or organisation. Turkiye being a very close ally of Pakistan is bound to provide either the technology or the systems to them in event of future conflict with India. China on the other hand is one nation who has forayed ahead of US in the field of AI and has developed Robot-soldiers[v]. It is more important that India expediates its AI technology to boost development of AWS. The current situation as prevailing between China and India calls for maintaining parity in field of AWS, least it becomes a disadvantage for India. 5G has been launched in India and defence application should become a priority. Alongside ‘ready to launch’ light weight, LEO satellites should be developed for surveillance and communication.

Conclusion

The modern soldier must be quick to react. ‘He who sees first, acts first, shoots first. Therefore, the modern soldiers need to be equipped with AI technology. Soldier would act as a force multiplier on the battlefield if provided with real time inputs and in turn assist decision making process of the commanders at all levels. Robotic soldier when operating in conjunction with an AI supported soldier; will be a win-win situation.

AWS can be aerial, maritime and land version. The maximum operational flexibility in terms of reach and time is with aerial systems. AWS may be used for surveillance, electronic warfare, communications, destruction, and administrative requirements. Using different techniques / modes, the time and intensity of attack using high explosives can controlled. The reach of AWS can be enhanced using a mother delivery system like an aircraft or ship.

As a rapidly developing nation, it is imperative that India must be self-reliant in AWS. The deployment of 5G network is a step towards self-sufficiency. 5G technology will enable faster development and operationalisation of AWS systems in India. Simultaneously, there is a need to keep a close watch on development and acquisition of AWS by both China and Pakistan. They should not take a lead on this count as it will be disadvantages for the armed forces on all counts.

[i] “Loitering Munitions- in Focus”, Centre for the study of the drone available at https://dronecenter.bard.edu/files/2017/02/CSD-Loitering-Munitions.pdf. Assessed on 28 Jun 24.

[ii] Wikipedia, “Swarming” available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarming_(military). Assessed on 28 Jun 24.

[iii] Wikipedia, “Kamikaze” available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze. Assessed on 28 Jun 24.

[iv] Louis A Del Monte, “Nano-weapons: A growing threat to humanity” Air University dated 14 Jan 2019 available at https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/AUPress/Book-Reviews/Display/Article/1731239/nanoweapons-a-growing-threat-to-humanity. Assessed on 28 Jun 24.

[v] Gravitas (Wion): China deploys Robot soldiers along the border. Available on You Tube dated 31 Dec 21.