To take advantage of the developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Army has, in the last several years, developed in-house algorithms to analyse in real-time the inputs coming from various sensors in the field, according to sources in the security establishment. Over 145 such assets, based on these solutions, have been deployed so far.
“The Army has deployed several units of AI-powered smart surveillance systems in the northern and western borders. The system is capable of handling heterogeneous inputs from devices such as pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras and handheld thermal imagers. This has considerably reduced the requirement of manual monitoring,” a source said. “AI-based real-time monitoring software has been deployed for generating intelligence in counter-terrorist operations.”
Along similar lines, an AI-based suspicious vehicle recognition system has been deployed at eight locations in the Northern and Southern theatre, officials said.
The data come to an analytical platform, and formation commanders can derive solutions based on the situation, the source explained. “It provides inputs in real time.”
The Army has been closely collaborating with academia and the Indian Industry, as also the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the realisation of complex AI-based projects, the officials elaborated. For this, an AI Lab has been established at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE) wherein AI projects have undergone extensive in-house testing before being given to a production agency for deployment.
5G spectrum
In addition to AI, the Army is gearing up for exploitation of the 5G spectrum which significantly increases speeds as well as enables the exchange of large volumes of data. The high-bandwidth low-latency connectivity promised by 5G is envisaged to be better suited for mission-critical communication for troops conducting operations at the forward edge of the battlefield, another source stated.
“To this end, a detailed Joint Services Study was carried out on the implementation of 5G in Defence Services under the ageis of Corps of Signals. The study has deliberated upon and recommended a roadmap for the induction of 5G in the armed forces,” the official explained. The Army was the lead service in conducting the study and the recommendations are being examined by the three services for implementing the 5G use cases.
In line with this, a Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of a 5G testbed was recently signed between the MCTE and IIT Madras. The test bed will facilitate the validation of military use cases of 5G for the field army. Some of the use cases being examined include smart surveillance, telemedicine, drone control, and, real-time augmented and virtual reality for training and operations, the officials stated.
The Government has recently auctioned 5G spectrum to private telecom operators for rolling 5G services across the country.
