The Indian Army is being integrated with Security Operations Centre 2.0, a top command facility of domain experts who monitor, analyse and protect critical national assets from cyber attacks and other vulnerabilities.
This far-reaching, mutually-beneficial arrangement is borne out of transformational collaboration of the Indian Army with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), meant to harness Ministry’s advanced digital and IT capabilities. It began with the Minister of State for MeitY Rajeev Chandrashekhar’s meeting with Army Chief General Manoj Pande about six months ago, leading to the foundation for a future-focused defence strategy, Army sources stated.
The engagements have also helped, stated defence sources, Army in exploiting telecom advancements as it has established 5G labs and the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering is poised to be a 6G test bed. The development of military-grade 5G and 6G applications are being undertaken which meets the future warfare requirements, observed officials.
AI-enabled tools
The Army is now actively developing military-grade software in close coordination with MeitY. This includes AI-enabled decision-making tools and predictive analytics, designed to enhance intelligence and operational efficacy. Software to read Enemy’s Electronic Order of Battle (ORBAT) and pattern recognitions are functional now, Army officials informed to elaborate that they assist staff to analyse quickly and commanders in quick decision-making.
The Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, as the per the Army, has evolved into a hub for AI research and development, feeding innovations like the Situational Awareness Module for Army (SAMA) and advanced pattern recognition software for satellite imagery analysis.
The Army said that joint training programmes in digital technologies are underway, leveraging platforms like the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to upskill personnel in the latest digital and cyber practices. Some of the specific training activities are digital video/image and CCTV forensics’ at National Science University (Gandhinagar) and joint training of IT staff at National Informatics Centre (NIC), they stated.
Projects like SRIJAN for transactions, Raksha Bhoomi for digitising land records, and MISO for efficient inventory management epitomise the Army’s commitment to digital innovation and in the process not only bringing efficiency in functioning but also savings on exchequers, believe Army sources.
Published on December 6, 2023
