Navies worldwide are investing considerable resources in the development of autonomous maritime systems.
- These include Uncrewed Undersea Vehicles (UUVs) that can be deployed and recovered through
- a submarine's torpedo tube, Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) endowed with vertical launch systems, and
- ship-launched Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) capable of performing multi-domain ISR and targeting operations.
- It aims to protect critical undersea infrastructure (e.g., subsea cables and pipelines) while ensuring strategic deterrence through secure second-strike capabilities.
India Initiatives
- Commissioned INS Arihant and Arighat, accelerating Project 75(I) (AIP submarines) and Project 77 (indigenous SSNs),
- DRDO is developing AI-enabled autonomous underwater vehicles and Fibre Optic Sensing System for seabed mapping and submarine detection,
- India-US collaboration for anti-submarine warfare (ASW).
Recommendations
- Accelerate Indigenous Projects: Fast-track Project 75(I) (AIP submarines) and Project 77 (indigenous SSNs).
- Strengthen Undersea Security: Establish a dedicated Seabed Warfare Command for surveillance and protection of critical undersea infrastructure.
- Build Hybrid Force: Integrate crewed and uncrewed platforms and deepen Quad/UDA partnerships for co-development of autonomous systems.
- Enhance ASW Surveillance: Expand P-8I Poseidon aircraft and Sea Guardian drones to strengthen anti-submarine surveillance across key maritime choke points.
