SURVEILLANCE, C4I2 & ELECTRO-OPTICS 2027

Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi | 20 August 2027

Modern military operations are being transformed by the ability to sense, understand, decide and act faster than the adversary. Across air, land, maritime, space and cyber domains, operational advantage increasingly depends on the seamless flow of information—from sensors and surveillance systems to command networks, decision-makers and precision effectors.

Surveillance, C4I2 and Electro-Optics 2027, organised by the Centre for Aerospace Power & Strategic Studies (CAPSS) and Indian Military Review (IMR), will bring together senior military leadership, government agencies, technology providers, system integrators, researchers and innovators to examine the technologies and architectures shaping this new battlespace.

The event will focus on three closely interconnected capabilities:

Surveillance provides the persistent sensing and situational awareness required to understand the battlespace.

C4I2 transforms data into actionable information, enabling commanders and forces to communicate, coordinate and make decisions rapidly across domains.

Electro-Optics provides the high-precision sensing, identification, targeting, navigation and engagement capabilities needed to translate information superiority into operational effect.

Together, these capabilities create an integrated sensor-to-shooter and sensor-to-decision ecosystem, enabling faster OODA cycles, greater precision, improved survivability and more effective joint operations.

SCOPE OF THE EVENT

1. SURVEILLANCE & SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

The event will examine technologies that enable persistent and multi-domain observation of the battlespace, including:

• Airborne, ground-based, maritime and space-based surveillance
• UAVs, autonomous systems and persistent surveillance platforms
• Counter-UAS and counter-surveillance technologies
• SIGINT, ELINT, IMINT and GEOINT
• Radar, acoustic, seismic and other specialised sensing systems
• CBRN detection and environmental monitoring
• Multi-sensor surveillance and data fusion
• AI-enabled detection, identification and tracking
• Border, coastal and critical-infrastructure surveillance

2. C4I2, NETWORK-CENTRIC OPERATIONS & BATTLE MANAGEMENT

Information superiority depends not simply on collecting data, but on connecting the right information to the right decision-maker at the right time.

Key areas will include:

• Joint and integrated Command & Control systems
• Tactical communications and secure networks
• Software Defined Radios and satellite communications
• Data links and interoperability across platforms and Services
• Cloud, edge computing and distributed architectures
• AI/ML-enabled intelligence and decision support
• Real-time data fusion and common operational pictures
• Battle Management Systems and mission planning
• Cyber situational awareness and network resilience
• Communications in contested and GPS-denied environments
• Electronic warfare resilience and anti-jamming technologies

3. ELECTRO-OPTICS, PRECISION SENSING & TARGETING

Advanced EO systems are increasingly critical to see, identify, track and engage targets under day, night and degraded-visibility conditions.

The event will cover:

• Thermal imaging and advanced night-vision systems
• Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging
• Laser range finding and target designation
• EO/IR payloads for UAVs and manned platforms
• Fire-control and precision targeting systems
• EO-guided weapons and seekers
• Distributed Aperture Systems and enhanced pilot vision
• AI-enabled automatic target recognition
• LIDAR and 3D terrain mapping
• Counter-UAS electro-optic systems
• Optical surveillance and perimeter protection
• Optical and laser-based countermeasures
• Soldier-worn and helmet-mounted EO systems

FROM SENSING TO DECISION TO ACTION

The 2027 edition will place particular emphasis on integration.

The future battlefield will not be defined by an isolated radar, camera, communications system or command-and-control platform. Operational advantage will come from the ability to connect multiple sensors, networks, platforms and decision-makers into a resilient information ecosystem.

The event will therefore explore how India can build indigenous and interoperable capabilities that can:

SENSE → FUSE → UNDERSTAND → DECIDE → ACT

while continuing to operate in environments characterised by electronic warfare, cyber threats, communications disruption, deception, contested spectrum and degraded navigation.

KEY OBJECTIVES

• Bring together senior Armed Forces leadership, government, R&D, academia and industry around emerging operational requirements.
• Examine the evolution from individual sensors and systems towards integrated multi-domain information architectures.
• Identify opportunities for Indian industry and technology companies in surveillance, C4I2, EO/IR and related systems.
• Discuss challenges of interoperability, data fusion, cybersecurity and resilience.
• Showcase indigenous technologies, products and solutions relevant to future military operations.
• Facilitate interaction between users, system integrators, technology developers and solution providers.
• Explore opportunities for indigenisation, co-development and technology collaboration.
• Examine how AI, autonomy, edge computing and advanced sensing will reshape battlefield awareness and decision-making.

THE CENTRAL THEME

Surveillance creates awareness.
C4I2 creates understanding and enables decision-making.
Electro-optics enables precision sensing and action.

Together, they provide the information advantage that will shape the future battlespace.

Surveillance, C4I2 & Electro-Optics 2027 will therefore serve as a focused forum for examining how these capabilities can be integrated to create a faster, smarter, more connected and more resilient military force.