AI-ML GIVES NEW OPERATIONAL EDGE TO INDIAN NAVY

INS Surat, commissioned in January 2025, is India’s first warship designed with inbuilt support for Al-driven systems

- TARUNI GANDHI

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are increasingly shaping a new operational capability for the Indian Navy, moving from theory to frontline application. The combat deployment of INS Surat during Operation Sindoor has emerged as a key marker of this shift, with the advanced destroyer employing intelligent systems under live operational conditions in the Arabian Sea.

INS Surat was commissioned in January 2025 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mumbai Port. The warship is the final vessel of the Visakhapatnam class under Project I5B and is named after the historic port city of Gujarat. Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited with design inputs from the Navy Warship Design Bureau, the ship reflects India’s growing emphasis on indigenous capability and digital warfare.

Captain Sandeep Shorey, the Commanding Officer of INS Surat, confirmed that the ship played an active role in Operation Sindoor. He said the vessel demonstrated strong performance across surveillance, threat assessment and operational coordination. Officers associated with the deployment said the use of AI-based tools helped process large volumes of sensor data and present clear inputs to commanders, improving both speed and accuracy in decision-making.