Indian Navy looks to bolster AI, ML capabilities

The Indian Navy is focusing on incorporating “artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in most of its critical mission areas”, an Indian Navy spokesperson told Janes.

The Indian Navy is “progressing around 30 AI projects and initiatives encompassing autonomous systems, language translation, predictive maintenance, inventory management, perimeter security, maritime domain awareness (MDA), intelligence, data analytics, and decision making”, the spokesperson said.

In addition, the Indian Navy “is also deeply involved in unifying and reorganising its enterprise data as data is the fuel for all AI engines”, the spokesperson added.

“The disruptive nature of AI/ML technologies is well known to the Indian Navy and we are seized with the unlimited possibilities [that] AI/ ML offer in all realms,” the spokesperson said.

Acknowledging the involvement of AI/ML in every facet of modern life, the spokesperson said that this will continue to have “a huge tactical impact as more and more smart devices will be able to aid the operators on ground to get insights and actionable intelligence or prediction using AI/ML-based algorithms from available data” such as text, machinery, imagery, and weapon systems maintenance, among others.

If permitted to do so, future weapon systems will have the “ability to analyse and engage targets autonomously and this is a call which responsible nations will have to grapple with”, the spokesperson said.

At both tactical and strategic levels, the armed forces of any country will be able to enhance decision making as well as “get ahead in the OODA (observe-orient-decide-act) loop” upon utilising big data technologies coupled with AI/ML, the spokesperson added.