Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 13 - The Indian EYE 081426
P. 13

    OPINION                                                               AUGUST 14, 2026      |  The Indian Eye 13

            of compute, storage and application                                                                   ational data sharing and processing
            services from the cloud and transfers                                                                 across the network of participating
            the execution of these processes to                                                                   soldiers, giving them a fuller picture
            local places—places closer to where                                                                   of the battlefield from different per-
            decisions and actions must occur,                                                                     spectives.
            such as an ‘edge’ server.                                                                                 Commercial technological life-
                The term ‘edge’ is considered                                                                     cycles are short, whereas military
            fuzzy and refers to a combination                                                                     machine  systems  are  usually  de-
            of different locations. In the mili-                                                                  signed to last for tens of years. These
            tary context, it can refer to either a                                                                legacy military systems also lack the
            ruggedised compute on platforms                                                                       processing power essential for edge
            (vehicles, ships, aircraft, unmanned                                                                  computing during operations, and
            systems), or forward-deployed com-                                                                    some use older communication pro-
            mand  posts  and  mobile  ‘mini-data-                                                                 tocols that transmit data too slowly
            centres’ or even the processor on a                                                                   or too insecurely.
            sensor or drone or any other military                                                                     Despite the apparent advantage
            tool of its kind operating in the bat-                                                                of applying edge computing in mili-
            tlefield. For example, the BLADe-S                                                                    tary systems in challenging environ-
            is an indigenously developed, AI-in-                                                                  ments close to the frontline, physical
            tegrated wearable language transla-                                                                   capture of the edge device by the
            tor that uses edge computing com-                                                                     enemy risks exposing sensitive data.
            bined with a built-in neural network                                                                  These grim operational environ-
            processor, offering real-time transla-                                                                ments also lack power connectivi-
            tion of audio, visual and textual intel-                                                              ty or have very little access to it. As
            ligence data.                                                                                         such, many edge computing devices
                TurbineOne’s Frontline Percep-                                                                    have batteries or portable generators
            tion platform is another recent ex-                                                                   fitted on them. But these are tempo-
            ample powered by edge computing                                                                       rary fixes to a larger power challenge
            and AI. It is used to process complex,                                                                associated with edge devices.
            multi-source sensor data in environ-                                                                            Conclusion
            ments where communications, band-                                                                         It is becoming increasingly clear
            width and cloud access are limited.                                                                   that in the rapidly advancing and
            American frontline forces have test-                                                                  digitalised  battlefield,  quick  and  in-
            ed this platform in ongoing battle-                                                                   formed decisions will hold the key
            field operations in West Asia. Thus,   “Analysis of Key Technologies in Edge Computing and Practical Applications in U.S. Military   to military success. Therefore, the
            a key takeaway is that the network      Operations”, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 19 December 2025.  incorporation of edge computing in
            edge is geographically closer to the                                                                  military systems is no longer a tech-
            end devices than origin or cloud serv-  conditions and needs very little add-  risk of sensitive military data leakage   nological upgrade necessity but a
            ers, which are often located much   ed space to operate. It can also with-  by reducing the attack vector/attack   definite  requisite  from  a  strategic
            further away.                     stand electromagnetic interference,   surface that a malicious actor can ex-  point of view. It can also be combined
                This effectively brings data pro-  dust, vibration, explosions and cur-  ploit. This is because data does not
            cessing and storage in proximity to   rent/voltage  fluctuations,  making  it   travel to the centralised cloud servers   with other technologies like AI,
                                                                                                                  5G/6G, IoT (Internet of Things), etc.
            the source of data generation, en-  a robust military application on the   unless needed. Data can be gathered   to build a smart military ecosystem.
            abling nearby terminals, sensors,   battlefield.  An  example  case  is  the   from edge servers, encrypted and   Such an integrated network will sig-
            or even military operators to access   Sentry-X2 Mini, a MIL-SPEC cer-  cleansed before being transmitted   nificantly improve situational aware-
            communication and computational   tified rugged edge AI system, devel-  elsewhere. Thus, edge computing   ness, accelerate response times, and
            services  more  efficiently.  Its  decen-  oped by the firm Connect Tech Inc.   makes data interception harder and   support overall decision-making. All
            tralised design preserves operational   (CTI) for critical and autonomous   improves data privacy and security.   this points to the capability of this
            functionality in challenging or lim-  aerospace and defence missions in   Additionally, edge computing also   technology to not only shape the fu-
            ited-bandwidth environments while   harsh environments.             supports network defence applica-  ture of warfare, but also improve the
            reducing latency. In the military con-  Since data processing happens in   tions. The ‘Persistent Cyber Hunter’   current state of military operations.
            text, these features enhance combat   proximity to the source of the data,   (PCH) project of the United States
            performance and situational aware-  edge computing helps reduce both   Cyber Command has demonstrated   Vivek Reshi is a Research Analyst at the
            ness through real-time processing of   latency and decision response time.   this capability in real combat during   Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence
            data from weapon systems, monitor-  During wartime, when military lead-  the  ongoing  conflict  in  Ukraine  in   Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New
            ing soldier status, and managing bat-  ers  must  make  decisions  efficiently   2024 using a network of intelligent   Delhi. His research interests lie at the
            tlefield information.             and in real-time, edge computing   AI agents mounted on frontline    intersection of emerging technologies,
                                              expedites  decision-making  by  dras-  communication devices, satellite ter-  national security, and strategic affairs
                  Military Applications       tically reducing the time between   minals and shipboard systems.
                    and Challenges            initial data capture and resultant    New developments in the field of   Views expressed are of the author and

                Edge computing, by virtue of   action. The United States Air Force   edge computing have given rise to the   do not necessarily reflect the views of
            its design, can work in remote and   has incorporated edge computing on   concept of ‘digital soldier’. Slightly   the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
                                                                                                                          Government of India
            disconnected locations—areas that   its F-35 Lightning II fighter jets and   different from the established notion
            most militaries generally work in.   localised data processing through an   of soldiers participating in cyberwar-  This article first appeared in the
            This enables continuous operation   on-board heterogeneous computing   fare, the idea of a digital soldier is   Comments section of the website (www.
            and vital data analysis in combat,   unit. In doing so, it has drastically re-  about utilising small, connected sen-  idsa.in) of Manohar Parrikar Institute
            with little to no network availability.   duced sensor data processing latency.  sors attached to soldiers, ensuring   for Defense Studies and Analyses, New
            It can also survive in harsh working   Edge computing also reduces the   rapid and synchronized local oper-  Delhi, on August 4, 2026

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 |