EXPERT SPEAK

to acquire Network Centric Warfare (NCW) capabilities, which now must be fully integrated, even as wars would need a national response, not by the military alone.

Fostering R&D

The global fast-paced technological advances in terms of geospatial intelligence need to be widely adopted.

We need to dispense with compartmentalized thinking and switch to complete integration. For example, we are still launching satellites separately for the Army, Navy and Air Force, whereas, these could have been catering for all three with adequate redundancy in incapacitated or shot down by the enemy.

China has successfully allowed its remote sensing satellite ‘Qimingxing-1’ in low-earth orbit to observe parts of India where army units are stationed. It also watches over a Japanese port that often stations US naval vessels, using AI from a ground-based station for the experiment— the operation for redeployment of the satellite was autonomous without any human intervention.

Following this revelation, there has been discussion in the media about the dangers of AI-controlled satellites, drones or robots going rogue, which in military engage-

There is a view that India should not let its satellites be AI-controlled. However, acquiring a capability and employing it are two different issues.

India should develop this capability as all major powers will surely do. There has been plenty of noise against weaponizing space or for that matter nukes, but research, development and deployment continues unabated.

Lt. Gen Katoch superannuated as DG Information Systems of Indian Army in 2009. He has authored books titled ‘India’s Special Forces’ , ‘Indian Military and Network Centric Warfare’ and ‘Special Operations Case Studies – Lessons for India’.