The modernised PLA will compress the response time along the LAC and enable faster, more coherent military operations against India.
On the night of 15 June 2020, Indian and Chinese soldiers fought with stones, iron rods and nail-studded clubs in the Galwan Valley. It was the first such clash on the India-China border in the past few decades, and 20 Indian soldiers were killed. While the battle was primitive, the force that initiated it was well-prepared and sophisticated. They reportedly placed orders for additional nail-studded clubs around the same time.
Over the years, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has undergone broader transformation and is seen trying to steadily integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities into every dimension of military operations—from intelligence fusion to autonomous combat systems and cognitive electronic warfare. This unprecedented convergence of AI and military power has changed the nature of warfare. For India, China’s AI advances in military underscore a hard reality: future deterrence will depend not only on soldiers and weapons, but also on the speed, scale, and sophistication with which AI is integrated into military operations.
Since taking over the helm, Xi Jinping’s rise has marked a clear shift in the pace and direction of PLA modernisation. Under his “China Dream” vision, military modernisation became a strategic priority and has been driven by extensive organisational reforms, namely Military Civil Fusion (MCF) Strategy and strategic investments in AI. Beyond building a strong army, Beijing’s ambition is to create a force capable of fighting and winning “intelligentised” wars, where AI, big data, autonomous systems, and algorithmic decision-making shape military operations. China’s military modernisation has progressed from mechanisation to informatisation and now intelligentisation and is supported by national milestones that have the objective of achieving the modernisation of national defence and the armed forces by 2035 and transformation of the PLA into a world-class force by 2049.
The impact of this transformation, particularly of the PLA’s Western Theatre Command (WTC), is especially significant for India. The WTC was established in May 2016 and is responsible for overseeing military operations along the India-China border, including Tibet, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. This is a region of high altitude, extreme weather conditions and limited visibility, and to overcome challenges posed by geographical constraints, the PLA is using AI to improve surveillance, decision-making, command and operational effectiveness.
At the centre of this shift is the WTC’s Joint Operations Command Centre (JOCC). It functions as the “smartest brain” responsible for planning and simulating battlefield scenarios. JOCC provides a clear operational advantage to the PLA by allowing commanders to test different battlefield decisions in real time using updated information, rather than just relying solely on pre-planned estimates.
Through real-time data processing and integration, the delays caused by fragmented inputs will be reduced and the PLA can efficiently process, integrate data and make informed decisions. Hence the modernised PLA will compress the response time along the LAC and enable faster, more coherent military operations.
China has advanced its surveillance just as sharply. Chinese forces have tested drones such as the FH-95 and the Chengdu GJ-2 in Xinjiang, which are no longer limited to surveillance but are capable of electromagnetic jamming, armed reconnaissance and striking targets in one mission. In the complex Himalayan terrain where delays are common, these AI-enabled drones shorten the Observe, Orient, Decide and Act (OODA) cycle and increase PLA’s responsiveness.
In Tibet’s Cona County, the PLA has positioned electro-optical and infrared surveillance systems capable of continuous 360-degree monitoring, networked to AI-based analytics that operate 24/7, enabling autonomous threat detection and classification. The system provides commanders with continuous, real-time intelligence, thus accelerating decision-making and increasing the operational tempo. Indian soldiers would consequently have less time to react, increasing pressure to make faster decisions in an already challenging environment.
The PLA’s deployment of the WZ-7 Soaring Dragon drone at Shigatse Air Base, just 150 km from the Sikkim border, strengthens its ability to monitor Indian military activity and disrupt communications. Even more significant is the forward deployment of the stealth-capable GJ-11 Sharp Sword, placing key Indian military installations in Ladakh—including Daulat Beg Oldie, Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground and Leh—within credible striking range. For Indian forces, this reduces the time available to detect threats, coordinate defences and respond to a potential attack.
Beyond surveillance, the WTC is deploying AI-enabled autonomous systems. China’s Atlas Swarm-2 ground-based launcher has the capacity to fire up to 96 drones and send them together to attack a target within a range of 150 km. The effectiveness of traditional defences can be reduced and with AI shortening the time between detection and strike, the WTC can carry out faster and more coordinated operations along the LAC. The usage of autonomous systems also reduces operational risk and cost, making it easier for China to exert pressure without using expensive and important assets.
To overcome challenges related to visibility and access, the PLA has deployed non-kinetic systems such as a robot dog with an acoustic dispersal device. This makes the PLA’s combat system in the WTC more flexible and efficient as soldiers find it difficult to operate in high-altitude areas (above 4,000-5,000 metres) because of low oxygen, quick fatigue and extremely cold temperatures. The PLA can send robot dogs to detect Indian soldiers who might be concealed. The robot dogs can transmit acoustic signals that produce disturbing sounds which force soldiers to reveal their positions. This will allow China to apply steady pressure along the LAC while avoiding a direct conflict.
For India, the challenge is not just matching China’s AI capabilities but adapting to a faster way of fighting. The PLA’s WTC already brings together surveillance, intelligence and battlefield decisions through a single, AI-enabled network. India has begun integrating AI into operations, but these efforts remain spread across the services. Along the LAC, where even a few minutes can shape the outcome of a confrontation, the side that can detect, decide and respond first may hold the decisive advantage.
Riddhi Khajanchi is Research Assistant at the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy.
