The contemporary battlespace is undergoing a seismic shift, transitioning from kinetic dominance to cognitive and spectral superiority. As the Indian defence establishment navigates the mid-21st century, the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) has evolved from a supportive medium for communication and sensing into a primary domain of manoeuvre and warfare. This report, “Electronic Warfare in the AI Era: From Spectrum Control to Spectrum Intelligence,” provides an exhaustive analysis of this paradigm shift within the Indian strategic context. It evaluates the transition from the legacy doctrine of “Spectrum Control” characterised by static jamming, denial, and brute-force dominance to “Spectrum Intelligence,” a dynamic, AI-driven state where cognitive systems predict, adapt, and exploit the electromagnetic environment in real-time.
The analysis is grounded in the operational realities of the post-2025 security environment, specifically drawing lessons from the “Operation Sindoor” and “Operation Bunyan al-Marsus” exchange, which exposed critical vulnerabilities and validated emerging indigenous capabilities. It examines the dual-front threat posed by the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) “Intelligentised Warfare” doctrine and Pakistan’s asymmetric integration of AI via the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Computing (CENTAIC).
Crucially, this report dissects the internal mechanisms of India’s response, from the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) “Project Himshakti” and “Samyukta” upgrades to the private sector’s breakthrough with the “ALAAS” cognitive engine. It further addresses the civil-military friction regarding spectrum allocation in the 5G/6G era, analysing the implications of the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) 2025. The document concludes with a comprehensive strategic roadmap for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and the Armed Forces, recommending the establishment of a Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (JEMSO) Command and a National EW Data Bank to secure spectrum sovereignty.
