Autonomous Warfare in Operation Sindoor: A New Era of AI-Driven Military Combat

Operation Sindoor marked the first major use of autonomous aerial systems in direct military combat between India and Pakistan.

About Autonomous Warfare

• Definition: Autonomous warfare involves the use of unmanned systems (drones, robots, loitering munitions) that can operate without direct human control.
• Key Components: 
• • Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS): Drones used for surveillance, strike, and electronic warfare.
  • Loitering Munitions: Drones that hover in the air until a target is found and then strike.
  • Swarm Drones: Multiple drones that operate in coordination to overwhelm enemy defences.
  • AI-based Targeting: These platforms use AI and algorithms to navigate, identify, and engage targets independently or semi-independently.
• Other Key Technologies driving Autonomous Warfare:
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning enables autonomous systems to:
    • Navigate complex environments
    • Identify, track, and prioritize targets
    • Make decisions without human input
    • Used for real-time threat analysis, adaptive mission planning, and swarm coordination.
  • Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems: Disrupt or deceive enemy sensors and communications.
    • Includes:
      • Decoy drones to bait defences
      • Signal jamming and spoofing to mislead enemy systems
      • Cyber payloads for disabling networks
  • Real-Time Data Networks & Battle Management Systems: 
    • Examples: Integrated Battle Management System (IBMS), IACCS (Integrated Air Command and Control System)
    • Link drones, sensors, command centers, and strike assets in real time.
    • Enables dynamic targeting, coordinated strikes, and shared situational awareness.
  • Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs): Use high-powered lasers or microwaves to disable drones and incoming threats.
  • Autonomous Ground & Naval Systems (Emerging): Autonomous tanks, UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles), and USVs (Unmanned Surface Vessels) are under development.
• Modern Battlefield Role:
  • Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR)
  • Target acquisition
  • Electronic warfare
  • Direct strike missions

Ethical Challenges of Autonomous Warfare

• Loss of Human Judgment and Moral Agency: Autonomous weapons (e.g., drones or robotic soldiers) lack consciousness and cannot exercise moral judgment.
  • Ethical decisions in war (e.g., distinguishing combatants from civilians) often require empathy, context, and discretion,  traits that machines inherently lack.
• Dehumanization of Warfare: Automation may desensitize decision-makers and combatants to violence.
  • The reduction in the psychological cost of killing is evident in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
• Accountability Gaps: If an autonomous system commits a war crime or violates humanitarian norms, who is morally responsible? The programmer, commander, manufacturer, or the AI itself?
• Bias and Discrimination: AI systems may inherit or amplify biases from their training data or design, leading to disproportionate harm to certain groups.

Legal Challenges of Autonomous Warfare

• Compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
  • Autonomous weapons must adhere to principles of: 
    • Distinction – Between combatants and civilians.
    • Proportionality – Harm to civilians must not be excessive in relation to military advantage.
    • Military Necessity – Use of force must be justified by legitimate military objectives.
    • Precaution – All feasible steps must be taken to avoid or minimize harm to civilians.
  • It is currently unclear whether autonomous systems can reliably meet these standards.
• Accountability and Legal Responsibility:  No clear framework exists for assigning legal responsibility for unlawful acts by autonomous systems.
• Lack of Regulation and Treaty Law: No comprehensive international treaty governs autonomous weapons systems (AWS).

India’s Drone Capabilities

• India deployed a wide range of UAS:
  • ISR Drones: TAPAS-BH-201 (Rustom-II), Heron MK-II
  • Loitering Munitions: Nagastra-1, Israeli Harop
  • Swarm Drones: Used for radar spoofing and network saturation
  • Micro/Quadcopters: For real-time targeting via Integrated Battle Management System (IBMS)

Integrated Air Defence & Electronic Warfare

• India’s IACCS: Integrated Air Command and Control System
  • Merges radar, satellite, airborne, and ground data
  • Uses Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) for drone neutralization
  • Survived multiple disruption attempts by Pakistan
• Tactical Control Layer: Akashteer system for UAV tracking and response.
• Use of Legacy Systems: India creatively upgraded Cold War-era Low-Level Air Defence (LLAD) platforms
  • ZSU-23-4 Shilka, OSA-AK, Pechora, L/70 Bofors AA guns
  • Integrated with modern systems like SPYDER, Akash, Barak-8, and S-400

Advantages of Autonomous Warfare

• No pilot risk: Human lives are not directly endangered during missions.
• Precision targeting: Reduces collateral damage with real-time data and guided strikes.
• Persistent surveillance: Drones can stay airborne for extended periods.
• Cost-effective: Cheaper than manned aircraft and missiles.
• Rapid response: Quick deployment in conflict zones or emergent threats.

Strategic Impact of Operation Sindoor

• The operation Sindoor highlighted India’s growing capability in autonomous warfare, executing precise, risk-free cross-border strikes.
• It is a new model of deterrence in the region, signaling a shift in regional aerial power dynamics in India’s favor.
• Future conflicts may be driven more by algorithms and data than by soldiers.