In a candid address at ‘Ran Samvad’, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi dismantled myths of conventional warfare. ‘Wars aren’t what they used to be,’ he stated, outlining the shift to multi-domain operations encompassing terrestrial, aerial, maritime, digital, space, and psychological arenas.
We live in an age of ceaseless confrontations, the general noted, where hostilities simmer without official proclamations. Battles rage on multiple planes: infantry clashes coincide with cyberattacks, electronic jamming, and space-based reconnaissance. Modern leaders cannot afford silos; holistic awareness is imperative.
Empowerment has trickled down, with field officers accessing drones, real-time intel, and cyber tools that rival past generals’ arsenals. Operation Sindoor exemplified this evolution, where Army, Air Force, and Navy orchestrated a symphony of precision strikes and intel fusion for triumph.
The Indian Army is racing to retool. Exercises simulate multi-domain scenarios, while specialized units in drones, cyber, and electronic warfare gain strength. Hybrid warfare poses the trickiest foe—covert ops blending info manipulation with sabotage.
General Dwivedi called for agile command structures, resource redistribution, and tech-human synergy. ‘Technology augments, but humans decide,’ he stressed. The army that fuses domains and tech savvy will dominate tomorrow’s wars, he prophesied, urging a doctrinal overhaul.
