Human in the loop: Why India's air power cannot be pilotless

Drones may multiply force, but manned fighters must remain at the heart of India’s deterrence

- DR NISHAKANT OJHA

A compelling narrative in modern military discourse suggests that the era of the fighter pilot is ending, replaced by autonomous drone swarms promising risk-free, algorithm-driven warfare. While such a future may appear appealing from a technological point of view, it is strategically very shortsighted, especially for a country like India. India, which has to deal with nuclear-armed opponents, border disputes that are ongoing, and civilian populations that are complicated, giving up human judgment to autonomous systems is not a step forward, but a very risky step backwards.

This paper argues that despite the spread of drones, Indian air power will largely depend on manned combat aircraft. The pilotless future is not pilotless; it is, by far, human-led.

THE IRREPLACEABLE SENTINELHUMAN JUDGMENT IN THE CRUCIBLE OF LIMITED WAR

Contemporary conflicts, particularly the ones along India’s unstable borders, are characterized by political restraint. These operations are carried out under the most severe scrutiny and extremely tight Rules of Engagement (ROE), where a single mistake can lead to escalation beyond control. In such an atmosphere, the act of using weapons is quite straightforward; however, figuring out whether, when, and where to use them is the real challenge.