Artificial Intelligence has been a part of military capability and strategy not for so long. Emerging technologies like AI, autonomous weapons, cyber weapons, space weaponisation, etc., by themselves or combined with conventional modes of warfare, are starting to determine the success and failure of contemporary battlefields.  

As per reports, global spending on AI touched $118 billion in 2022 and is expected to surpass $300 billion by 2026. Even though, as a country, we are at the narrow AI stage, where AI can outperform humans in narrowly defined and structured tasks, it still has immense utility and potential. Like any other industry, the ability of AI has made militaries around the globe actively integrate AI into their warfighting systems. AI is now being incorporated into command and control, healthcare, surveillance, information warfare, logistics, cyber warfare, autonomous systems, training and simulation and lethal autonomous weapons.  

The North-Tech Symposium 2023 

The event, North-Tech Symposium of 2023, was organised by Indian Amry’s Northern Command, collaborating with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and IIT-Jammu on Tuesday in Jammu. It encompasses various exhibitions, one-on-one structured interactions, product launches, technical seminars, ideas and innovation displays, and a wide array of military equipment displays.  

While addressing the seminar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh mentioned, “Research and development (R&D) is a risky venture as it needs out-of-the-box thinking and sometimes does not give desired results; it remains one of the basic elements for the development of any country. Hence, capital investment in R&D becomes a necessity.” 

Introducing Multi-utility legged equipment  

One significant equipment showcased during the event was the multi-utility legged equipment (MULE). It is a four-legged piece of equipment with a sleek design, camera, and radars. MULE has a payload capacity of 12kg and can be used on Wi-Fi or Long-Term Evolution (LTE). Wi-Fi will be valid for short ranges, while LTE can be used for a distance of 10km maximum from a remote location. The MULE is an analog-faced machine that an easy-to-operate remote control can control. Various payloads and even firing platforms can be integrated into MULE, similar to thermal cameras and radars.  

Pre-fed missions can be uploaded onto the system to indicate the task that has to be completed, even if they are waypoints or recorded missions. MULE is also suitable for all terrains like snow and mountains. The robot system can easily climb mountains up to 45 degrees and can climb the steps with a height of about 18 cm.  

Aryan Singh, R&D Engineer at ARC Venture, said, “We can generally use it in the case of first contact. For example, we know our enemy is in a room, but we don’t know the exact location they are at inside the room, so we can use the 360-degree cameras on the MULE and enter the room. The person who controls can find the exact spot of the enemy in the room, and the firing platform can be used to hunt the enemy down.” 

Let’s look at another piece of equipment which was showcased at the event. 

Multi-weapon engagement system (Anti Drone System) 

Besides the MULE, another equipment which was showcased at the symposium was the AI-based Autonomous Multi Weapon Engagement System (Anti Drone System). The main aim of this system is to shoot down drones and destroy them. The system consists of three main parts. First is a weapon platform where we can install various weapons like light machine guns, rifles and carbines that can be lodged. The second is an AI-based laptop, and the third is a controller box. It consists of two modes, the autonomous and manual modes. The autonomous mode enables it to detect and track the drone itself and helps the operator to destroy the target. While in manual mode, the equipment is utilised mainly for surveillance. Whether it be aerial or terrestrial, the system shoots down any target. This equipment was developed by the Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME) 

• https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/army-develops-multi-utility-legged-equipment-heres-how-it-works-101694566902593.html
• Photo by Michael Mráz on Unsplash