Future wars will be won by the force that can sense, decide and adapt faster: the Expert Panel

Tobby Simon, Founder and President of the Synergia Foundation | Photo credit: File photo

The next generation of warfare will be shaped not only by the platforms the military has, but also by how quickly it can sense, understand, decide and adapt, emerged as a key takeaway from a strategic roundtable on electronic warfare and sensors organized by the Synergia Foundation, a strategic affairs think tank, here on Thursday.

The discussion explored how advances in electronic warfare, artificial intelligence, quantum sensing, autonomous systems, advanced sensors and space technologies are reshaping the battlefield and what India needs to prepare for. Panelists concluded that the next generation of military advantage will depend less on individual platforms and more on how effectively sensors, data, software and decision-making capabilities work together.

The high-level round table brought together government and defense leaders, military veterans and industry leaders, including Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary, Defense Production, Ministry of Defence, Manisha Chandra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defense Production, Manoj Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ravi K, Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Aeronautic (MoHALerson Limited), Hindustan Aeronautic Limit Coordination), Ministry of Defense Production and Aviation Marshal BR Krishna, former Chief of the Integrated Defense Staff, along with senior serving and former military officers, technology experts, start-ups and researchers.

The roundtable identified the emergence of a “post-platform era,” where the strategic value of a military system increasingly resides in the intelligence layers below the platform: sensors, data, algorithms, software and connectivity. The ability to quickly turn signal into understanding and understanding into action has become a defining element of combat power.

“The nature of warfare is changing rapidly. Success will increasingly depend on our ability to sense, understand, decide and act faster,” said Tobby Simon, founder and president of the Synergia Foundation. “The question is no longer just what platform we build or what system we deploy. It’s whether we can create an adaptive defense ecosystem in which sensors, data, algorithms and human decision-making work together to continuously improve situational awareness and response.”

AI compresses the decision-making cycle

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing electronic warfare from a largely reactive discipline to one capable of continuous learning, pattern recognition, and faster decision support.

The panel explored the potential of artificial intelligence systems to process ever-increasing volumes of information, recognize emerging patterns, and reduce cognitive overload for decision-makers. The roundtable also emphasized that AI systems must be supported by robust data integrity, testing, verification and human oversight, especially as algorithms become part of critical defense decision-making.

Participants also expressed that quantum sensing and advanced sensors emerged as another important frontier, with the discussion exploring the potential of quantum sensing, atomic technologies and advanced RF receivers to improve sensing and navigation capabilities. The roundtable also highlighted the potential of quantum sensors to detect extremely small changes in magnetic and electric fields, while advances in autonomous navigation could reduce reliance on conventional positioning systems in degraded environments.

Miniaturization

Another topic was the growing importance of miniaturization. Smaller, lighter and more capable sensors and electronic systems can enable greater mobility, survivability and scalability across a wider range of platforms and operational environments. The discussion highlighted the emergence of distributed and networked sensing along with compact spectrum monitoring technologies as an important direction for future defense systems.

Published – 17 Sep 2026 23:51 IST