Abstract
Over the past few decades, rapid advances in autonomous systems have begun to transform the character of warfare. Their impact has been unambiguously demonstrated in recent conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Red Sea campaign and Op Sindoor 2025. For the Indian Navy, the implications are stark and clear. Integrating these potent platforms alongside major service combatants is an imperative. This article aims to derive key policy takeaways for integrating the USVs into the Indian Navy. It examines ‘where we want to be’ by deriving lessons learnt from recent conflicts and analysing global trends. It further attempts to assess ‘where we are’ by evaluating the various challenges and then proposing specific policy and doctrinal recommendations to address ‘how to get there’. The underlying vision is that the Indian Navy’s Unmanned Surface Fleet becomes not only a technological addition but a force multiplier firmly embedded in the Indian Navy’s DNA.
Key Words: Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), Swarms, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Unified Platform Management System
