VISAKHAPATNAM: Future wars may be shaped by Artificial Intelligence, but victory will still depend on national resolve, trained personnel and strong military capabilities, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday.
Addressing the commissioning ceremony of INS Mahendragiri in Visakhapatnam, Singh said new technologies and conventional military platforms were not competing forces but complemented each other.
“Future wars may be fought with Artificial Intelligence, but they will still be won by national resolve, trained soldiers and capable military power,” he said, adding that advanced technologies could not replace conventional defence capabilities.
Singh said emerging technologies had transformed the nature of warfare but had not reduced the importance of traditional military strength, which remained essential to meeting the fundamental requirements of combat.
Describing INS Mahendragiri as the sixth frigate under the Project 17A Nilgiri-class stealth frigate programme, Singh said it was the final warship built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) under the project.
Calling the vessel the “concluding jewel” of MDL’s Project 17A series, he expressed confidence that the shipyard would continue producing advanced warships in the future.
Recalling the induction of other Project 17A frigates, Singh said INS Nilgiri was commissioned in January 2025, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri in August 2025, INS Taragiri in April 2026 and INS Dunagiri in June 2026, before INS Mahendragiri joined the Navy.
He said INS Mahendragiri, with a full-load displacement of around 6,670 tonnes and a speed of up to 28 knots, is a multi-mission stealth frigate capable of countering aerial threats, enemy surface vessels and submarines simultaneously.
Singh also said Andhra Pradesh had emerged as a major hub for defence and aerospace manufacturing.
(With inputs from PTI)