AI, autonomy and algorithmic warfare: how India can keep pace

Question (10 marks, ~150 words):

'The trinity of AI, autonomy and algorithmic warfare is redefining deterrence.' Examine how emerging technologies are reshaping modern warfare, and suggest sovereign pathways for India to keep pace. (10 marks, 150 words)

A trinity of artificial intelligence, military autonomy and algorithmic warfare is transforming conflict. AI-enabled platforms like Ukraine's 'Delta' fuse multi-sensor data into a real-time 'kill web', compressing detection-to-strike to minutes, while cheap drones — Ukraine is buying about eight million this year — dominate a 35-km frontline 'death zone'. Autonomous fighters such as Anduril's YFQ-44A 'Fury' and agile defence start-ups signal a shift from platforms to software, speed and compute. Deterrence increasingly rests on algorithms, not tonnage. To keep pace with China and Pakistan, India needs sovereign pathways: an indigenous Delta-style analytics platform, autonomous swarm software, a drone inventory of about five million by 2028, counter-drone systems and space-based surveillance along the LoC and LAC, backed by a larger technology share of the modernisation budget and start-up-friendly procurement. But capability must be paired with meaningful human control and clear ethical, legal and escalation safeguards, so autonomy strengthens rather than destabilises deterrence.