Army developing military-grade 5G, 6G apps, focuses on emerging tech

The Indian Army is in the process of developing military-grade 5G and 6G telecom applications as part of an ambitious project to address future warfare requirement and roll out critical technologies to enhance overall efficiency, Army sources said on Wednesday.

The Army is also actively developing military-grade software that includes Artificial Intelligence-enabled decision-making tools and predictive analytics, with an aim to enhance intelligence and operational efficacy, they said.

The software and technologies are being developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

"The Indian Army has established 5G labs and the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering in Madhya Pradesh is poised to be a 6G test bed," said a source.

"The development of military-grade 5G and 6G applications is being undertaken which meets the future warfare requirements," it said.

The Military College of Telecommunication Engineering has evolved into a hub for AI research and development, the sources said.

Innovations like the situational awareness module for army (SAMA) and advanced pattern recognition software for satellite imagery analysis are notable outcomes that came out of the institute, they added.

They said several initiatives have been taken with an aim to upskill Army personnel with the latest advancements in digital and cyber security spheres.

Some of the specific training activities include training on digital video/image and CCTV forensics' at National Science University (Gandhinagar) and joint training of IT staff at National Informatics Centre (NIC).

The sources said the softwares to read Enemy's Electronic Order of Battle (ORBAT) and pattern recognitions, developed by the Army, are functional now.

Acknowledging the critical importance of cybersecurity, the Indian Army's expertise is being integrated with security operations Centre 2.0 that marks a significant step in managing cyber threats, they said.

This move is bolstered by the development of cutting-edge cybersecurity and cyber forensics tools, they said.

The sources said initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti Yojana have incorporated Army's logistic infrastructure requirements. "This will ensure that mobilisation in future wars is fast-paced and logistics supply is made more efficient by use of national infrastructure," said a source.

The Indian Army has been repeatedly commended for being one of the largest users of the government e-Marketplace portal and it exemplifies efficiency and transparency in procurement processes, the sources said.

They said the Army's healthcare system has witnessed a digital revolution with 'Dhanwantri' software, that facilitated linking over 110 military hospitals for enhanced medical services.

Medical services are being provided to remote posts using telemedicine services.

"Himan Resource Management Suite (HRMS) is functioning effectively to manage documentation of a large workforce. ASAAN software made for issues relating to Agniveers has been put in place," the source said.