Carl Von Clausewitz stated that the nature of war remains same; however with changes in time and space, actors change the character and means of conducting war. In contemporary times, technological innovations in non-combat vehicles, like Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), have enabled states to operate in multidomain warfare with greater precision and accuracy. These non-contact platforms are rapidly transforming global, particularly the nature of South Asian warfare beyond Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to strike roles. The use of UUVs like Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to strike targets during the May 2025 Pak-India confrontation is one such example of this changing dynamic in the South Asian region.
Globally, the United States (US) investments and developments in underwater unmanned platforms aim to meet emerging military challenges, especially from China, which is developing and investing in underwater unmanned platforms to enhance its sea control and sea denial capabilities. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s announcement of the Manta Ray prototype marked a leap forward in underwater sea exploration. The Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) or Orca, another US Navy flagship program, was initially designed for undersea mining exploration, but its payload bay can accommodate future payloads for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. China’s effort to modernize its underwater sea capabilities aims to achieve regional objectives in the Indo-Pacific and the South China Sea, as China views UUVs as an essential force multiplier of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). At NAVDEX 2023, PLAN revealed an XLUUV designed to accommodate torpedoes to enhance its anti-submarine warfare capability.
India is also enhancing its investments in under water drone technology to strengthen its maritime security. India’s quest to acquire under water underwater unmanned platforms can be termed a reaction to an emerging sea control posture of China and to present itself as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Sagar Defense Engineering, an Indian firm, is likely to enter underwater drone technology for the Indian Navy. Sagar Defense Engineering aims to develop submarine-based autonomous drones to detect and neutralize enemies, enhancing maritime security.
Pakistan likely aims to build a sea denial posture against India’s sea control ambitions. Pakistan’s naval doctrine, as per the country’s 2018 Maritime Doctrine, “Preserving Freedom of Seas,” focuses on an, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy especially in the context of thwarting the expansionist ambitions of India’s sea control there. This approach is one of limiting the Indian Navy’s operational freedom in Pakistan’s littoral waters, including the Arabian Sea, by a range of asymmetric capabilities like submarines, anti-ship missiles, and now increasing unmanned platforms. In this way, by emphasizing coastal defense and sea denial, Pakistan hopes to overcome India’s numerical and technical superiority and ensure that any possible aggressor meets prohibitive costs in its attempt to control spaces at sea.
In this sea denial posture, Pakistan has accelerated its investments in non-contact warfare technologies, especially in UUVs and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Recognizing the transformative potential of these platforms, the Pakistan Navy began developing under water unmanned platforms in 2024 with a focus on ISR and potential strike capability. These developments highlight a significant transformation towards a more powerful force. At the Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) held in November 2025, Pakistan showed a series of high-tech unmanned systems that include the Stingray Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) for anti-ship, kamikaze, and coastal defense operations. This development includes technology for stealth and swarm tactics, such as robotic fighters, which would enable combatants to operate collectively with the ability to overwhelm their opponents without going in person. Additionally, the cooperation between the Pakistan Navy and the Air Force is developing indigenous unmanned systems, which will integrate the use of UUVs for different purposes of monitoring harbors, the ocean floor, and anti-submarine warfare. Such innovations, on one hand strengthen the Pakistan’s defensive capabilities while acting as a force multiplier, helping it to remain present in contested waters at lesser risk to personnel.
These advances, however, bring a large degree of volatility to the security dynamics of South Asia. With both nations adding non-contact platforms to their arsenals, the risk of miscalculation is magnified. For example, autonomous systems could create erroneous escalations where algorithms misinterpret neutral behavior as posing a threat, possibly turning limited confrontations into a wider conflict. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) arms race in the region, with India employing AI-enabled drones in its 2025 crisis operations and later counter-development efforts by Pakistan, has marked a move towards precision warfare and information supremacy, taking a new direction away from traditional warfare.
In conclusion, the changing nature of naval warfare in South Asia due to the role played by non-contact technologies is a matter of a fine balance between deterrence and escalation. While India’s efforts to assume net security provider status using UUVs are intended to counter China and establish regional dominance, Pakistan’s sea denial approach will use such innovations to preserve parity. To mitigate risks, the strengthening of confidence-building measures, through for bilateral dialogues on unmanned systems and joint maritime exercises, is very crucial. Ultimately, as noted by Clausewitz, the character of war remains, but the means within the South Asian context are rapidly evolving towards the age of precision and autonomous operation, calling for wisdom and definite strategic restraint of all the actors for the sake of regional stability.
