The Indian Army is undergoing a significant technological transformation through the strategic deployment of advanced electronic warfare systems and artificial intelligence capabilities. This modernisation effort includes the development of indigenous systems like SAMBHAV, Samyukta, and Himshakti, alongside the integration of AI-powered surveillance and detection platforms.

These innovations represent a fundamental shift in India's defence posture, moving beyond conventional warfare capabilities to establish dominance in the digital and electromagnetic domains. The coordinated implementation of these technologies, aligned with the Ministry of Defence's declaration of 2025 as the "year of reforms," positions India to effectively counter emerging hybrid threats while enhancing operational readiness across multiple theatres.

SAMBHAV: Revolutionising Secure Military Communications

The Indian Army has developed an innovative end-to-end secure mobile ecosystem called SAMBHAV (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version), representing a quantum leap in India's defence communications capabilities. This ground breaking system facilitates secure communication with instant connectivity, even while on the move, addressing critical vulnerabilities in traditional mobile networks that are susceptible to eavesdropping and compromise. SAMBHAV employs 5G-ready handsets equipped with sophisticated multi-tier encryption to establish a network-agnostic secure communication environment, effectively eliminating traditional security risks associated with mobile communications.

Developed through collaborative efforts between the Indian Army and leading academic and industry experts, SAMBHAV leverages existing public cellular networks operating on 5G technology, demonstrating India's commitment to technological innovation in defence. This approach aligns perfectly with the government's strategic vision of "dual-use infrastructure" and "civil-military fusion" in technology development, maximising resource utilisation while enhancing operational capabilities. The implementation represents a pragmatic approach to defence modernisation by building upon existing civilian infrastructure while adding military-grade security layers.

The deployment strategy for SAMBHAV involves an ambitious rollout of 35,000 sets in two carefully planned phases, with 2,500 units scheduled for deployment by January 15, 2024, and the remaining units to be implemented by May 31, 2024. This phased approach allows for systematic testing and integration while ensuring operational continuity. The comprehensive deployment will significantly enhance the Indian Army's ability to maintain secure communications in diverse operational environments, including contested battlespaces where communication integrity is critical to mission success.

Command Cyber Operations Support Wings

In conjunction with SAMBHAV's deployment, the Indian Army is establishing specialised Command Cyber Operations Support Wings (CCOSWs) to augment its cyber warfare capabilities. These dedicated sub-units will strengthen cyber capabilities at operational and tactical levels, representing a multi-layered approach to digital domain security. The establishment of six CCOSWs across all commands, with personnel receiving specialist training and participating in validation exercises, demonstrates the Army's commitment to building robust cyber defence and offence capabilities. This integrated approach ensures that technological advancements in communications are supported by specialised personnel capable of maintaining and defending these systems against sophisticated cyber threats.

Indigenous Electronic Warfare Systems: Samyukta and Himshakti

The Indian Army has made significant strides in developing indigenous electronic warfare capabilities through systems like Samyukta and Himshakti, which play crucial roles in countering electronic threats across varied terrains. These domestically developed platforms represent India's growing technological self-reliance in critical defence domains while addressing specific operational requirements unique to India's diverse geographical contexts. Samyukta, designed for tactical battlefield surveillance, provides the Indian Army with advanced electronic intelligence gathering capabilities essential for maintaining situational awareness in contested electromagnetic environments.

These indigenous systems form a critical component of India's electronic warfare architecture, enabling forces to detect, analyse, and counter enemy electronic emissions across the operational spectrum. Their deployment across different terrains demonstrates the versatility and adaptability of India's electronic warfare capabilities, essential qualities in modern multi-domain operations where electronic superiority often determines battlefield outcomes. The continued development and enhancement of these platforms reflect India's commitment to maintaining technological parity with potential adversaries while reducing dependence on foreign systems.

However, military planners recognise that a gap exists between cyber and electronic warfare operations that requires bridging, as adversaries increasingly integrate cyberattacks with electronic disruption techniques in coordinated campaigns. This recognition has driven initiatives to develop more integrated approaches to cyber-electronic warfare, seeking synergies between these traditionally separate domains. The development of these indigenous systems also contributes to India's broader defence industrial ecosystem, creating expertise and capabilities that can be leveraged for future technological innovations.

AI Integration In Electronic Warfare Systems

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a transformative technology in India's military modernisation strategy, revolutionising capabilities across multiple domains including electronic warfare, surveillance, and data management. The Indian Defence industry's adoption of AI technologies places India firmly in the global defence market while significantly enhancing operational capabilities through automation and advanced analytics. AI applications span critical areas including data processing, logistics optimisation, surveillance enhancement, and weapons systems, creating a comprehensive ecosystem of intelligent military technologies.

One notable AI implementation is the Motion Detection & Target Identification System deployed along sensitive borders, capable of generating real-time audio/visual alerts by detecting suspicious enemy movements from multiple surveillance inputs including PTZ Cameras, LORROS, HHTI, and TTIOE. This system performs continuous real-time motion detection, target identification, and tracking across line of control, line of actual control, and counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism areas, significantly enhancing situational awareness and response capabilities. The system's ability to function effectively in challenging environments, including night time operations using IR and thermal vision, addresses critical operational requirements for continuous border monitoring.

Another innovative AI implementation is the Continuously Observing Ubiquitously Available AI-Surveillance System, which overcomes limitations of traditional surveillance equipment such as line-of-sight restrictions, high resource requirements, power demands, and the need for continuous manning. This advanced system employs artificial intelligence to maintain persistent surveillance while optimising resource utilisation, representing a significant advancement in military surveillance capabilities. These AI systems collectively enhance the Indian Army's ability to detect, analyse, and respond to threats across multiple domains with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

The integration of AI with existing electronic warfare systems creates powerful synergies, enhancing targeting precision, reducing response times, and enabling more sophisticated electronic countermeasures. AI algorithms can rapidly analyse electromagnetic spectral data to identify threats, optimise jamming frequencies, and recommend countermeasures far more quickly than human operators, providing critical advantages in time-sensitive electronic warfare environments. These capabilities become particularly important as adversaries deploy increasingly sophisticated electronic attack systems that require rapid and adaptive responses.

Strategic Framework And Future Directions

The Indian Army's electronic warfare modernisation efforts exist within a broader strategic framework aimed at comprehensive defence transformation. The Ministry of Defence has declared 2025 as the "year of reforms" to position the Indian armed forces as technologically advanced, combat-ready fighting units capable of executing multi-domain integrated operations. This initiative aims to simplify defence acquisition procedures, eliminate inefficiencies, deepen collaboration among key stakeholders, and optimise resource utilisation while strengthening the synergic bond between the three services.

These reform efforts seek to facilitate the rollout of integrated theatre commands and transform the Indian Armed Forces into a technologically advanced combat-ready force capable of addressing 21st-century security challenges. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has characterised the "Year of reforms" as a momentous step in India's defence modernisation journey, expressing optimism that 2025 will be a defining year for the armed forces in establishing unprecedented advancements in defence preparedness. This high-level commitment ensures sustained focus and resource allocation for critical technological modernisation initiatives.

The Indian Army's approach to electronic warfare modernisation also incorporates valuable lessons from recent global conflicts, including Israel's sophisticated electronic warfare operations against Hezbollah. Israel's integration of targeted electronic attacks with psychological operations to disrupt enemy command-and-control structures provides important tactical and strategic insights for India's own electronic warfare doctrine development. Such operations demonstrate how electronic warfare can seamlessly integrate with broader information warfare strategies to influence enemy morale and operational coherence without direct kinetic engagement.

Looking forward, the Indian Army is positioning itself to leverage emerging technologies through the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) concept, which aims to integrate capabilities across land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace domains to achieve strategic advantages. This conceptual framework provides the intellectual foundation for continued integration of electronic warfare and cyber capabilities into comprehensive joint operations. The Army is already incorporating MDO concepts in joint exercises, simulating contested environments where cyber and electronic warfare components play decisive roles in shaping battlefield outcomes.

Conclusion

The Indian Army's electronic warfare modernisation initiatives, centred around SAMBHAV, Samyukta, Himshakti, and AI integration, represent a comprehensive approach to establishing dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum and digital domains. These technological advancements are transforming India's defence capabilities from primarily conventional platforms to sophisticated multi-domain systems capable of operating effectively in contested information environments. The continued development of indigenous technologies, coupled with strategic investments in specialised cyber units and artificial intelligence applications, positions India to effectively counter evolving threats while reducing dependency on foreign systems.

The declaration of 2025 as the "year of reforms" provides additional momentum for these modernisation efforts, ensuring sustained focus on technological transformation across the armed forces. However, challenges remain in fully integrating these diverse technologies into cohesive operational concepts and ensuring that personnel are adequately trained to leverage these advanced systems effectively. The global acceleration of next-generation electronic warfare technologies, particularly the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning, indicates that maintaining technological parity will require continued investment and innovation.

As these modernisation initiatives mature, they will significantly enhance India's ability to detect, analyse, and counter electronic threats while establishing secure communications networks resistant to interference and compromise. These capabilities are increasingly critical in modern conflicts where control of the electromagnetic spectrum often determines battlefield outcomes. Through sustained focus on indigenous development, academic-industry partnerships, and strategic technology adoption, the Indian Army is positioning itself as a formidable force in the rapidly evolving domain of electronic warfare.

Based On WION Report