As we celebrate Indian Navy Day on December 4, the Navy is undergoing a silent and significant transformation by integrating innovative technologies to enhance its operational capabilities and ensure maritime security. This evolution is driven by initiatives aligned with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision, emphasising self-reliance and indigenous development. This transformation aims to enhance the Navy’s capabilities and capacity building and reduce the reliance on imports in the coming years. Today, 75% of its future fleet is being developed in Indian shipyards. Let us explore a few innovative products and technologies that can aid transformation.
Autonomous Vessels
The Indian Navy is making significant advancements in developing and deploying autonomous vessels, enhancing its operational capabilities in maritime security. Through initiatives such as the A-FIBs, Jalkapi AUV, ULAUV project, and XLUUV development, the Navy aims to leverage innovative technologies that improve operational efficiency while ensuring national security in increasingly complex maritime environments.
These vessels can perform surveillance and reconnaissance, mine countermeasures (MCM), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), search and rescue (SAR), logistics and supply missions, and combat missions. This endeavour can bring many advantages such as operations in hostile environments, increased endurance, dedicated capabilities, stealth, quick and modular production, and economical operations. Teaming of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with manned vessels for missions may happen in the near future.
Smart and Intelligent Clothing
The concept of smart uniforms, or ‘smart couture’, involves incorporating advanced materials and technologies into uniform clothing. Smart integrated military fabrics and garments (SIMFG) include features such as temperature regulation, moisture management, and embedded sensors for monitoring health metrics. The goal is to create uniforms that adapt to environmental conditions and enhance the soldier’s performance. They could be fire-resistant, stealthy, bulletproof, waterproof, and breathable materials and should have anti-microbial properties. They may also have UV shielding and adequate insulation as per the area of operation.
Apart from all these physical requirements, there is a need to integrate technology elements into clothing to make it smart, like sensors, GPS and navigation, antennas, communications accessories, power supply storage/sources, and even embedded electronics/IC chips. Even lightweight exoskeleton components to reduce fatigue and enhance ergonomics for improved mobility and comfort can also be a part of the uniform clothing as per the mission requirements. Many startups and the DRDO are currently working on technologies associated with SIMFG.
Smart Wearables
Wearable technologies for armed forces are innovative and offer significant enhancements in operational efficiency and situational awareness. Smart watches, smart eyewear, heads-up displays, and even exoskeletons fall into this category. Enablers like vital body parameter sensors, stress and fatigue monitors and injury detectors, are currently available in the market.
Many startups are working on smart helmets with Integrated microphones and earpieces, smartwatches and wristbands for navigation, alerts and tactical information, body-worn radio communication devices, heads-up displays (HUDs) with mission-critical information such as maps, enemy positions, and integrated with night vision and thermal imaging systems, smart goggles with real-time video feeds/VR/AR, and even exoskeletons to enhance mobility and physical endurance in challenging environments.
Even periodic medical fitness tests and monitoring vitals of sailors before missions can be done away with in due course of time. The global military wearables market size was valued at USD 7.83 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow to USD 10.18 billion by 2030.
Jetpack Suits
With the advent of Jetpack Suits, tasks such as SAR, boarding ships, maintenance inspections, special operations by MARCOS, disaster response, mine detection, ship-to-shore commute and negotiating shore terrains can be done effectively. Absolute Composites, a Bengaluru-based company, is at the forefront of developing jetpack suits tailored for the Indian Armed Forces. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also working on a prototype that utilises battery-driven electric duct fans (EDFs).
IoT/IoBT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionising the armed forces by enabling seamless connectivity among devices, personnel, vehicles, and weapons systems. This networked approach is often referred to as the Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT). The implementation of IoT/IoBT in the Indian Navy represents a significant advancement by instituting digital twinning towards modernising naval operations. By enhancing real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, personnel health management and situational awareness, IoT technologies are transforming the way the Navy conducts its operations and missions.
Smart integrated military fabrics and garments (SIMFG) include features such as temperature regulation, moisture management, and embedded sensors for monitoring health metrics, to create uniforms that adapt to environmental conditions and enhance the soldier’s performance
Smart weapon systems for precision targeting, remote operations and weapon system health monitoring, vessels and fleet management, RFID-based supply chain and logistics management are a few of the many applications that work on data extracted from connected sensors. For energy management, health monitoring of assets and predictive maintenance, IoBT can be a great enabler since it integrates the sensors and provides data online for cognitive systems.
Cognitive Systems
Cognitive systems refer to technology platforms that leverage AI and ML to simulate human thought processes, enabling enhanced data analysis and decision-making by interaction with knowledge-based expert systems and applications. Apart from autonomous platforms, AI can power real-time data analysis of sensor data and can do predictive analytics, image analysis, ML-based pattern recognition etc. Autonomous threat detection and cybersecurity systems would ensure 24×7 network security and data protection.
Logistics and supply chain optimisation, target detection and recognition, threat analysis, data mining and natural language processing are a few of the many applications the Navy can explore. The development of expert systems in health care can meet the challenges at high seas/remote locations and save human lives.
Decision Support Systems and Combat Management Systems
The integration of Decision Support Systems (DSS) and Combat Management Systems (CMS) in the Navy represents a significant advancement in naval warfare capabilities, enabling commanders to make timely and informed decisions in complex and dynamic environments. DSS aids commanders in making informed decisions during missions by analysing vast amounts of data presented with actionable insights.
DSS encompasses data integration/fusion, creates scenario simulations, performs threat analysis, and aids military commanders in making optimal decisions. CMS, being the central nervous system of a warship, is designed to automate and streamline combat operations, it performs critical functions such as sensor fusion, weapon control and real-time decision-making, and supports command and control.
Blockchain and Data Security
Blockchain technology is emerging as a transformative force in military operations, offering numerous applications that can enhance efficiency, security, and transparency within armed forces. Integrating applications running on various untrusted networks with decentralised networks and databases can get extended visibility and security with improved data management. Applications associated with supply chain management, tracking of assets, secured communications and smart military contracts are the few that need to be explored. The ongoing research and development in this area are likely to yield innovative solutions that address current challenges faced by military organisations globally.
The Navy can exploit 3D techniques to enhance the rapid production of critical components, expediting maintenance and production with reverse engineering. 3D printing units deployed onboard ships and submarines help turn around vessels held up at sea for want of critical spares
3D Manufacturing
The Navy can exploit 3D manufacturing techniques to enhance the rapid production of critical components, decreasing logistics delays in part replacements and expediting maintenance and production by reverse engineering. It also helps economic manufacturing of fewer numbers, design of vessels and aircraft, minimise the waist and even rapid erection of dwelling units/buildings at remote places. 3D printing units deployed onboard ships and submarines help turn around vessels held up at sea for want of critical spares. Construction of monocoque hulls for vessels and submarines would speed up the development post-design/prototyping process. China and the UK have made tremendous progress in the construction of Hulls for their surface and underwater vessels.
AR/VR Assisted Training and Synthetic Training
The integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies in naval training is transforming how personnel prepare for real-world scenarios. These technologies create immersive training environments that enhance skills in maintenance, navigation, and operations. Combat simulations, simulated shipboard environments, mission planning/execution, flight simulators and damage control emergency response are the areas in VR/AR that can provide significant support for training. Synthetic training uses computer-generated models and virtual environments to replicate real-world systems by enabling a mix of AR/VR and live training for the combat team, and also helps fleet coordination. AR/VR-assisted training significantly reduces the need for live exercises, which are expensive and resource-intensive. Simulated environments allow trainees to practice dangerous scenarios, such as fire suppression, damage control or even combat, without physical risks.
High Energy Weapon (HEW) Systems
HEW are non-kinetic and use photons/lasers to detect, track and defeat threats from missiles, rockets, artillery, and unmanned aerial systems. This is cost-effective, unlimited and has a rapid response. It Operates by generating an intense, focused beam of electromagnetic radiation or laser that can engage targets at the speed of light, is capable of precision targeting with minimal collateral damage, and is very effective against drones, missiles, surface vessels and avionics of aircraft.
The DRDO made a notable achievement by successfully undertaking trials of a 2 kW HEW and is planning for a 100 kW HEW that can engage targets placed at longer range. Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies Corporation and BAE Systems are at the forefront of military laser systems.
The Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) spearheads efforts to foster innovation within the Indian Navy, and the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC) encourages startups to develop innovative solutions for the Indian Navy
Conclusion
The Indian Navy has made significant progress in building indigenous platforms such as the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, destroyers like the Visakhapatnam class, and stealth frigates. Projects such as the Arihant-class nuclear submarines and the Kalvari-class Scorpène diesel-electric submarines are cornerstones of India’s underwater capabilities. Adoption of biofuels, energy-efficient ship designs, and electrification efforts could contribute to reducing the Navy’s carbon footprint.
The Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) spearheads efforts to foster innovation within the Navy. The Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC) encourages startups to develop innovative solutions for the Indian Navy. The SPRINT (Startup Research and Innovation for New Technologies) Initiative for Defence Excellence (iDEX) aims to encourage startups and academia to develop technologies for naval applications. This initiative has already facilitated the creation of numerous defence products.
Initiatives like Swavlamban 2024 showcase new products developed through collaborations with startups and MSMEs, promoting indigenous technology solutions. The Indian Navy is currently focusing on several innovations as a part of its broader push towards self-reliance and strengthening strategic capabilities.
–The writer, an Aerospace Engineer, has served in the Indian Navy for 25 years. He is the founder and CEO of Defence Research and Studies [DRaS], a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, and a Defence Research and Development Organisation – Technology Development Fund Expert. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
