Hailing from the heartland of Atmakur, Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, Dr. G Satheesh Reddy stands as a paragon of Indian defense and aerospace innovation. Esteemed globally as an unparalleled expert in missiles and strategic systems, Dr. Reddy’s illustrious journey has been marked by pioneering milestones — from spearheading India’s indigenous missile development to laying the very foundation for long-range smart weaponry. As the driving force behind the 4th Generation Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, and the chairman of DRDO during its most transformative years (2018-2023), he has been an instrumental figure in reshaping India’s defense landscape.
An alumnus of JNTU and a prodigious talent incubated under the mentorship of the legendary Dr. Abdul Kalam at RCI, Dr. Reddy’s trajectory is a testament to unwavering dedication and brilliance. Recognized with a litany of accolades, from the Homi J. Bhabha Memorial Gold Medal to the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Silver Medal, his contributions to global defense and aerospace are unparalleled. In a riveting conversation with Naresh Nunna of NSH, Dr. Reddy shed light on critical areas, elucidating the intricacies of India’s defense mechanisms and his vision for the future.
How has warfare evolved over time? How do you perceive the transformation of military strategies with the infusion of modern tech, especially AI and cyber capabilities?
From WW II onwards, it is the technology that is influencing battle outcomes as we see the recent wars and skirmishes. Ofcourse, it is the man behind the machine and his strategies played important role. In Mongolia and Napoleon wars, fall of Byzantine Empire the usage of artillery which affected many battles. Advent of Panzer tanks, aircrafts, U boats and Radars dictated the wictories and losses, along with secret communication and it’s decoding. Then onwards it is a race for technology superiority which has driven the world defence, entering space domain. Of late, unmanned, autonomous and miniature systems striking with precision is order of the day. To make these systems effective, AI has been used in a big way. In this backdrop, Cyber WARFARE became the tool for both offensive and defensive strategies played in the wars. In non contact and strategic wars, both AI and Cyber domain technologies are very important for the country. It is now technology that dictates the way wars are fought. In the current scenario, it is imperative for any country to develop systems which are unmanned, autonomous and intelligent, which in turn need AI as basic mechanism with Cyber as well as space domain dominance. In our country also defence laboratories, industry and many startups are doing R&D in these cutting edge tech areas with a great degree of success.
Could you shed light on the ethical considerations in warfare? With autonomous weapons and cyber warfare becoming more prevalent, what ethical boundaries should nations adhere to, and how can they be effectively enforced?
The boundaries of ethical warfare is becoming blurred, increasingly dictated by strategic advantages of particular country. As seen in Ukraine war…countries are getting into wars for settling border disputes and anticipated strategic namaste alliances threatening their sovereignty. The non state players and terrorist organisations creating trouble without any ethical consideration. They are not governed by any international laws and treaties. They are being exploited by other countries to trouble enemy countries, like Pakistan doing to India.Middle east is plagued by clashes between such groups supported by different countries, creating continuous unrest. UN is the body created for the purpose to address these issues…it is the commitment of the participating countries for coexistence, peaceful settlement of border disputes and dialogue mechanisms.
How is technology shaping international relations? How is technological warfare reshaping geopolitical dynamics, alliances, and conflicts?
International relations are always depended on balance of power. POWER respects power, even in technology era. Yes, technology provides power to a nation. Therefore, it is essential for the country to excel in cutting edge technologies like AI and cyber domains, to be respected and become relevant in resolving conflicts. International arms market is running on technological superiority, which brings in alliances with militarily help as is evident in Ukrain war…friend in need is the corner stone of International alliances…who can provide weapons with tech superiority .countries become strong, attract alliances and contribute for resolving conflict.
What do you envision as the upcoming landscape in warfare? What do you envision as the next frontier in military technology, and how should the global community prepare for it?
Military technologies evolve as per the specific requirements and threats to be countered. All countries together can’t go together. Military technology is a very closely guarded area. Nobody will reveal their plans. We should develop space, cyber and AI domain technologies for the country’s defence. Aim should be to have superior surveillance in optical and electronic domain and smart & autonomous strike capability for the country . This should be built with indigenous technology. Dependency of any sort to be avoided as we are seeing the effects of foreign dependency for weapons, especially in the time of prolonged war.
