AI enables 94 per cent accuracy in targeting enemy assets: Indian Army

A mix of modern-day technology juxtaposed with 26 years of historical data and processed through artificial intelligence (AI) provided the Indian Army with information on Pakistan Army’s movement during Operation Sindoor, enabling pinpoint targeting. Lt Gen Rajiv Sahni, who was the Army’s Director General Information Systems during Operation Sindoor, said today that the system’s accuracy in locating and enabling targeting was more than 94 per cent.

Explaining the working, he said live data is collected by integrating feeds from all sensors, drones, radars, and satellites onto a single screen for the commander to take action. “Everything is aggregated, and that includes data about enemy positions, assets, and logistics,” said Gen Sahni, who is now Director General Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (DG EME).

The modelling of the battlefield was done using 26 years of data that had tracked and stored each radio emission and every frequency signature. This included where each equipment had moved in the past and was tasked with which unit in Pakistan. “With this modelling and live feed, 94 per cent accuracy was achieved, allowing us to pinpoint where a particular machine, such as a gun or missile unit, would be located on the border,” Gen Sahni added.

The infrastructure enables other services – the Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) – to use the same data. The Army even got the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to provide weather data. A specialised ‘app’ developed in-house by the Army makes a forecast of 200 km into enemy territory, providing usable data to military commanders on wind speed, wind direction, and other factors needed to calculate the trajectory of long-range missiles using AI.

The data-based targeting was possible because the home-grown application for ‘electronic intelligence collation’ was modified in record time during Operation Sindoor. This enabled a common surveillance picture, allowing for target acquisition. This enhanced coordination of resources, improved decision-making, and provided commanders at all levels with greater agility and situational awareness, Gen Sahni added.

AI is changing modern militaries, with armed forces across the world transforming rapidly through automation, digitisation, and the adoption of new technologies. The Army has designated 2024-2025 as “Year of Technology Absorption”. This includes establishing dedicated AI cells, fostering collaboration among armed forces, R&D institutions, academia, and industry, and creating secure cloud-based and edge-computing environments for battlefield applications.

A parallel programme is underway to develop ‘smart weapons’ and AI-enabled autonomous systems, such as drones and unmanned vehicles, while upgrading existing platforms with predictive maintenance and decision-support modules. An Army AI Research and Incubation Centre (AARIC) was opened in Bengaluru last December. The state-of-the-art facility, inaugurated by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, accelerates AI project development through partnerships with DRDO, academia, and industry.

Additionally, the Army is developing an indigenous unified ‘AI platform’ that will integrate operational, intelligence, logistics, and training applications on a single secure framework.