AI key to faster decisions, smarter military sustainment: Defence experts

India-AI Impact Summit 2026: Defence experts said AI can help armies take faster decisions, predict equipment failures and boost readiness while keeping humans in control of critical operations

Artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly improve the readiness, sustainment and operational effectiveness of military equipment, defence officials and industry leaders said on Wednesday. 

At a panel discussion titled ‘AI in Sustainment: Enhancing Operation Readiness of Military Equipment’ at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, they said that AI is becoming central not just to battlefield operations but also to predictive diagnostics and decision-making speed in modern warfare.

Engineering support and AI-enabled 'kill chain'

Lt Gen Rajiv Kumar Sahni highlighted that engineering support plays a decisive role in military effectiveness. 

“Curating a dedicated platform for the engineering support or sustenance or the combat force regeneration, is not without a reason, because any military power will not have that winnability factor only on the inventory it has.” 

 

He said engineering support provides flexibility and endurance to commanders so that the right equipment reaches the battlefield at the right time. 

“There are three quick objectives centred around AI in defence. First, once the precise target has been given to my shooter, my shooter can bring down the maximum amount of punishment on that pointed target in the minimum amount of time.” 

“Two, engineering support velocity. And third is navigation on the battlefield."

‘Legacy is not obsolete’

Maj Gen Mohit Gandhi said modern battlefields demand rapid response and precision amid the growing use of drones and network-centric warfare. “The majority of our combat systems are still resting on legacy systems.” 

“They are rugged and reliable. These systems were designed before the times of AI, before data analytics came in, and before predictive diagnostics came in. So, replacement of these is not cost-effective.” 

He said that there is a need to convert legacy platforms into data-driven systems. “So the core idea of smartisation is we need to transition the legacy platform into data with adaptive decision support systems.” 

“We need to do capability enhancement, for which we need to embed sensors on it. We want to create the data pipelines, build in the analytics and the AI, and hence transition this legacy system into our data systems.” 

He added that key challenges include data scarcity, cyber threats and ensuring AI systems remain explainable and compliant with laws of armed conflict. 

“So what is required is a calibrated adaptation, rather than a direct technology insertion.”   

Opportunities in drones, quantum and space

Maj Gen Shivendra Kumar Bhattacharya said AI is reshaping military capabilities across new domains. 

“In an era defined by rapid technological change, AI has emerged as a design shift factor in shaping modern military capabilities and static advantage.” 

“Today's battle space extends far beyond traditional domains of land and sea. It now includes cyber space, information space and the cognitive domain," he added. 

He outlined five key opportunities for AI integration -- drones, robotics, manufacturing, quantum technology and space. 

He further said that AI-driven cybersecurity tools can detect threats and protect critical defence infrastructure.

AI for equipment life, readiness

Maj Gen PS Bindra stressed the importance of AI-based monitoring for armoured vehicles operating in extreme conditions. “What we need for the engines of our armoured fighting vehicles, we need condition-based monitoring through sensors, applying artificial intelligence to it and getting the residual usual life.” 

He said large volumes of analogue data must be digitised and integrated into monitoring platforms to enable predictive maintenance.

Data and prioritisation key to AI success

Prof Sashikumaar Ganesan of the Indian Institute of Science said decision-making speed matters more than weapon numbers in conflicts. He added that the biggest challenge is getting data into a unified platform. 

"AI development is an iterative process," he said, adding that organisations must lead AI development, while vendors play a supporting role.

Shift to AI-defined warfare

Biswajit Biswas of Tata Elxsi said warfare doctrine is undergoing a major shift. 

“Doctrine has been changing. Network has always been there, but now it is the algorithm. And AI is now defining and writing that algorithm.” 

“So it has changed from software-defined to AI-defined," he said. 

He warned against relying on generic AI models. “Models like Gemini or ChatGPT will fail the first time it meets the battlefield. So that is why we need our own AI models, our own data-generated models.” 

He stressed the need for autonomous learning systems that can operate without cloud connectivity during combat.

‘AI is the new battle space’

Sreeram Ananthasayanam of Deloitte said AI is fundamentally transforming national security. “AI is not just transforming warfare. We're seeing that AI is the new battle space.” 

“Of the shelf AI is strategic suicide, so is AI without a human in the loop," he said. 

He stressed the need for domestic AI development to protect strategic autonomy. “So it's extremely important that AI solutions that we build for India are built out of India, built by Indians.” 

“And that is not technological nationalism, that is plain survival.” 

Ananthasayanam added that India’s democratic values can help it lead in ethical AI frameworks for defence. 

He noted that India’s operational experience and data from diverse environments provide a strong foundation for building indigenous, trustworthy AI systems for national security.