“Incorporating new technologies such as AI, quantum sciences...”: Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan at Indian Military Heritage Festival

Speaking at a session on the future-ready Navy at the Indian Military Heritage Festival 2026, Admiral Swaminathan said the combination of personnel and machines remained important in the battlespace, with technology continuously evolving.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan on Saturday said the Indian Navy was incorporating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum sciences and autonomous systems, while keeping human personnel at the centre of its operations. Speaking at a session on the future-ready Navy at the Indian Military Heritage Festival 2026, CNS Admiral Swaminathan said the combination of personnel and machines remained important in the battlespace, with technology continuously evolving.

“One of the things we say in the Indian Armed Forces is that what matters in the battlespace is the man-machine combination,” he said. He noted that the Navy was incorporating new technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum sciences, quantum capabilities and autonomous systems. He also pointed to the growing range of autonomous systems with different sizes, capabilities and payloads.

“The machine is continuously changing, and we are incorporating new technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum sciences, quantum capabilities and autonomous systems. There is a whole family of these systems, with different sizes, capabilities and payloads,” he said. Emphasising the role of personnel in the force, the Navy Chief said the human being remained at the centre of everything the Indian Navy did, adding that this belief was reflected in its approach to training and mentoring.

“We have always maintained that the human being is at the centre of everything we do. We don't say this for effect; we say it because we believe in it and want to act on it. Our training, mentoring and overall approach are all focused on our personnel,” he said. Describing the Indian Navy as a technology-intensive force, Admiral Swaminathan said its officers had technical qualifications and that considerable time, effort and attention were invested in training personnel to operate their systems.

“The Indian Navy is a highly technology-intensive force. The basic Indian Navy officer is an engineer, and the people who work with us are technically qualified. We invest considerable time, effort and attention in training them to operate their systems,” he said. He further said the Indian Armed Forces had a distinct approach to education, as they recruited individuals first and subsequently educated them.

“The Indian Armed Forces are probably the only educational organisation in the country that recruits a person first and then educates them,” he added. (ANI)