IMPACT OF INDUSTRY 5.0 ON CONTEMPORARY CONFLICTS
Today, there is "Space for Defence", and yes, there is "Defence for Space".
Professor Gopal Jagadeesh, Pratt-Whitney Chair Professor, Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering,Chairman, Centre of Excellence in Hypersonics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
We live in a rapidly evolving world. The only way we can handle the conflict scenario in the next 50 years is by looking at it slightly differently.The emergence of Industry 5.0 in recent years has impacted the lives ofpeople from all walks of life the world over. Because of the shift from “massproduction" to "mass customisation" during the fifth industrial revolution, therehas been a perceptible tectonic shift in how things get done.
While it took 35 million years for modern humans to evolve from Amoeba, it hasnot taken too long for the species to lord over Mother Earth. Almost all contemporary conflicts can beattributed to mankind's inability to live in harmony with nature.
Advances in fundamental science that have led to innovative engineering solutions haveresulted in the emergence of disruptive transdisciplinarytechnologies. Some innovations, such as cognitive autonomous flyingsystems, the emergence of explainable/non-explainable AI-driven technologies, roboticsystems, next-generation explosives, and hypersonic systems, are now becoming areality purely due to the emergence of Industry 5.0.
Today, there is "Space for Defence", and yes, there is "Defence for Space”.
New Age of Technology-Driven Conflicts
We are witnessing an epoch of technology-driven conflicts.Every individual anywhere on the Earth is transfixed by the digital era and is keen to gain its benefits, whatever their location or station. Not surprisingly, this obsession with technology changes mindsets and leads to conflicts as competition between individuals and states revolves around advanced technology. The ongoing technological cold war between China and the U.S. is an example that is impacting everyone globally. This technologically driven rivalry is a phenomenon that has never been seen before.
Science has not been able to prove that life exists on any planet other than Earth, and therefore, humankind must preserve itself and its planet from conflicts. Sadly, humans are altering the natural cycle of life on Earth with their ruthless pursuit of industrialisation and plundering of its natural resources. Consequently, climate change is no longer a joke; it is gathering momentum and could be the mother of all conflicts in the years to come. Earth's environment is literally the source of life on the planet; 90 per cent of the food humans consume, the air they breathe, and the water that quenches their thirst also strengthens their immune system to keep their bodies stable.
We saw how our technological advancements failed to protect us from COVID-19. The pandemic was yet another classic example of how nations were not fully convinced that its spread was not an act of nature but a covert/overt hostile act perpetrated by rival power(s); accusations and counter-accusations flew thick and fast, and the conspiracy theories never really died down.
It follows that we will not have a future unless we respect our nature and culture. In this context, we need to worry about how changes in knowledge and information will alter the geopolitical equations.
Today, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to manage the complex web of issues confronting us. Different disciplines, such as electromechanical systems, communication systems, human psychology, cognitive science, and neuropathology, are all merged.We are actually looking at industrial AI, trying to revolutionise and alter everybody's life.
The gap between humans and machines is disappearing at a very rapid rate. Don't be surprised if we have plenty of implants in our bodies in another 30 years. Your intelligence will be augmented by the intelligence that machines can provide.
No doubt machines are created by humans, but at some point in time, the amount of calculation they can do will simply be mind-boggling. You will be dependent on them in the years to come. So, you will have to embrace Industry 5.0 along with all these technologies.
Automation, robotics, and communication were actually used to eliminate one nuclear scientist sitting in a remote corner in Tehran and having a cup of coffee. Mossad remotely controlled this operation.Only seven bullets were fired to neutralise the intended victim, recognising him through facial recognition technology. None of this is fiction. The only way you will get a tool or a technology like this in the hands of a soldier is by focusing on fundamental science today.Therefore, fresh minds in the scientific establishment must come together to give soldiers the best in technology.
China placed an order about six months ago to a company that can produce 2000 robots, which would be deployed for logistic operations in the Shanghai airport. Maybe 40 years from now, robotic soldiers will constitute about 40 per cent of an army’s rank and file. Future wars will be faced by robots.Gone are the days when robotics was something we did in a small laboratory or an academic institution. Today, it is becoming mainstream.
Creating Synergy
Advanced systems can be built in about 2 to 3 years. An ecosystem exists, and the only things lacking are the willingness and passion to join forces and, of course, the financial heft. While investors announce that a lot of money is available for good ideas, it must be visible on the ground.
Another factor is time. Unless you make a timely decision to initiate a project, there is no use in initiating something that has become obsolescent even before it has been created. It cannot take four to five years to sanction a project; it is high time academia, research, and practice come together to cut down these inordinately long lead times.
Space and Defence domains are specific areas where this synergy can be achieved. Premier institutions like IITs and IISC are ready to join hands with the military and the industry so that products for the armed forces can be conceived together. Such products require tireless efforts from scientists labouring in labs. IISC is able to complete a project for the U.S. Air Force in three months and the funding is transferred for the research well in advance with no questions asked. In India, we have an ecosystem where a project, even where the technical deliverables are clearly chalked out, continues to languish for 3 to 4 years before being approved for completion.
The Indian Army should start a programme on hypersonic missile development, which is a speciality of the IISC.Academic Institutes do not want to create weapons of mass destruction, but we support our nation's right to defend itself with the best systems at its disposal. These are the realities of the modern-day world.
The scientific community is not just academics; they also build systems. In fact, IISC has exported fully developed systems to the United States, built biomedical systems, and is doing a great deal of research on shockwaves to heal frostbites. Such a device would be of immense benefit for our soldiers deployed in high-altitude areas, especially the Siachen glacier, where cold injuries are the biggest factor in the high rate of casualties. In this context, cross-functional teamswould pay rich dividends.
Reportedly, the Army surrenders a large amount of funds allocated to it for its R&D budget. If IISC was approached, we could work together to create a permanent research lab finding technological solutions for the military’s myriad needs.
