AI and automation key to future battlefields, says Army chief

Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi said Artificial Intelligence is becoming essential in modern warfare by enabling faster decision-making, better resource management and greater operational efficiency. He also highlighted the growing role of drones and stressed the need for advanced counter-drone capabilities

Pune: Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday emphasised the increasing significance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in contemporary warfare, stating that emerging technologies are becoming indispensable for faster decision-making and effective management of the growing complexity of military operations.

Addressing reporters after reviewing the Passing Out Parade of the 150th Course at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, General Dwivedi said modern battlefields generate enormous volumes of information and involve a wide range of resources, making AI-driven systems an essential component of future military preparedness.

---

The Army Chief explained that the pace of present-day warfare requires commanders and troops to process information rapidly and make timely decisions in highly dynamic situations.

“Artificial Intelligence. We look into why it is required. When you have resources which are beyond your control, you can’t manage them all in one go. Secondly, there is an OODA cycle — Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. When you are superimposed with more than one cycle, how do you act? Therefore, when the velocity of warfare is very high, you need additional support within your resources to make decisions faster. In this particular case, we have the SLMs and LLMs,” General Dwivedi said.

He noted that AI-based technologies, including Small Language Models (SLMs) and Large Language Models (LLMs), are increasingly helping military organisations process information efficiently, optimise resources and improve operational effectiveness in complex environments.

According to him, the ability to make faster and better-informed decisions has become a decisive factor in modern conflicts, where battlefield situations evolve rapidly and often require simultaneous responses across multiple domains.

He said that the two languages help make the decision-making process fast, and said, “Rationalisation of resources and application of resources, all of this becomes much faster in today’s world.”

General Dwivedi further highlighted the growing role of drones in military operations and pointed out that armed forces must develop both offensive and defensive capabilities to deal with emerging aerial threats.

“In today’s environment, we also have numerous drones coming. Now, you need counter-drone equipment, and you need to apply your own drones. Therefore, the resources present on the battlefield are enormous,” he said.

He observed that the increasing deployment of drones, surveillance platforms, sensors and other technological assets has significantly expanded the scale of battlefield resources that commanders must manage in real time.

He said handling such a vast and complex ecosystem requires a high degree of automation, making AI a critical enabler for future military operations.

“To handle such resources, you need some kind of automation, and AI plays a very pivotal role,” General Dwivedi added.