Historically, armies worldwide have organized their ground forces into small units (squads or sections) of around ten soldiers. For instance, in the U.S. Army, a standard squad includes a squad leader, a scout, a radio operator, a medic, and several regular soldiers. When using vehicles like Humvees, the unit may have fewer members but includes a driver. Similarly, the smallest British Army unit, known as a section, consists of 8 to 12 soldiers. India which maintains the largest standing army in the world and is modelled on British military structures, also operates with sections of similar size.
AI technologies are now beginning to challenge the traditional roles within these units. For example, radio operators are becoming obsolete as communication shifts to AI-powered systems integrated with drones or satellites. Commanders hundreds of kilometres away can now monitor live battlefield footage from drones, often gaining a far better view than the squad leader on the ground. Small, handheld drones allow squad commanders to gather real-time intelligence, making the scout role increasingly redundant. Additionally, modern AI-controlled machine guns mounted on remote-controlled vehicles are replacing human-operated heavy weapons.
These advancements raise an important question: Will AI-driven technologies reduce the size of squads or sections in modern armies? A reduction of 3040% in combat unit strength could disrupt traditional military formations. With fewer ground troops, the need for commanding officers at various levels may also come into question. For example, in the U.S. Army, a brigadier general typically commands around 4,000 troops, while in the Indian Army, the figure is approximately 3,000. If troop strength decreases by 30%, would a colonel suffice to lead a brigade, or would the role of a brigadier general need to be redefined?
This leads to a critical conclusion: armies integrating AI technologies must undergo fundamental restructuring. They need to transition from human-centric formations to ones that balance human and technological capabilities. This shift is not limited to infantry units. In air defence units, automation of guns and missile launchers is revolutionizing battlefield dynamics. AI-enabled systems, integrated with radars, can detect incoming threats, identify them, and autonomously fire kinetic or directed energy weapons like lasers, eliminating the need for a human gunner to pull the trigger.
Military strategists and planners around the globe are intensely focused on shaping the future of warfare. Their mission is to rethink how battles will be fought and determine the reforms needed to adapt to rapid technological advancements. Core processes like recruitment and manpower planning will need a complete overhaul. Wars will no longer rely on mass deployments of soldiers and vehicles advancing into enemy territory. Instead, the full integration of AI into military operations will necessitate a fundamental transformation of the army as an institution. This challenge is particularly pronounced in democracies like the U.S., U.K., and India, where the military operates under the authority of bureaucracies and elected lawmakers. Despite these hurdles, these changes are inevitable and must be implemented, no matter how daunting the task.
The era of combat boots stomping across battlefields is gradually giving way to microchips working silently on logic gates helping them to decide on how best to destroy the enemy.
