Defence Ministry Trials US-Origin AI Platform For Advanced Drone Control

(MENAFN- Live Mint) New Delhi: India's defence ministry in mid-August successfully trialled an advanced US-built artificial intelligence platform for the autonomous control of drones for national security purposes.

Built by American defence-tech platform Shield AI, the platform will enable the ministry of defence (MoD) to engage drones-called beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)-in areas that block all communication frequencies, including GPS. The trial was conducted in Himachal Pradesh, and was used with 'Nova 2' drones made for defence and strategic applications.

Also Read | For Indian defence firms, a special US deal is on the way

The move is part of multiple ongoing efforts at India's top national security office to revamp the country's technology arsenal for defence and warfare. Part of this includes the procurement of advanced warfare drones as well, which would enable India to engage in the interest of geopolitical security beyond border areas. Contracts are being sourced under India's $4.5-billion emergency procurement phase following the Operational Sindoor skirmish against Pakistan.

Shield AI remains in contention to supply the defence ministry with its drones, the company said in a statement on Monday.

Critical step forward

"These demonstrations represent a critical step forward in supporting India's efforts to rapidly adopt next-generation capabilities that strengthen national security and support indigenous defence innovation," said Sarjan Shah, managing director for India at Shield AI.

Shield AI has procured export clearances from the US and signed a joint venture in December last year with homegrown conglomerate JSW Group's defence subsidiary, JSW Defence. The $5.3-billion US defence equipment supplier is a key player in America's defence offerings globally.

Also Read | Eye in the sky: How Indian companies are rocketing into space defence

Technology platforms form a key part of India's planned revamp of defence equipment, said a veteran defence consultant. The defence ministry, through the Indian Air Force, is also considering similar platforms developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Mint also reported last month that other parts of India's defence revamp include low-latency satellite internet services from the likes of OneWeb by Bharti Enterprises. India and the US were also in talks to make the former a signatory of America's Reciprocal Defence Procurement Agreement (RDPA)-a strong defence collaboration proposed over multiple decades by the US to reduce India's defence ties with Russia. Talks on this, however, are going slow, the consultant cited above said, but it remains on the table for future deployment.

MENAFN01092025007365015876ID1110002820