India must respond to future security challenges in a “unified, swift and decisive” manner as emerging technologies transform warfare across land, sea, air, cyber, and space, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said on Monday. He emphasized that tomorrow’s battlefields will not respect traditional service boundaries, requiring joint planning, thinking, and execution.
"Jointmanship is not aspirational now. It is the bedrock of our ongoing transformation through theaterisation, integrated logistics and joint training," Chauhan said during the inauguration of Ran Samwad, a top military conclave at the Army War College in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, on August 26-27.
The conference will discuss how technology advancements are constantly transforming war and impacting operational planning, tactics, and strategy. Chauhan explained that the discussion would be facilitated by serving officers on the realities of contemporary war, warfighting, and operations challenges.
This seminar is not about demonstrating power. It's about crafting clarity of purpose, unity of effort and common operational understanding between services. We have to prepare not only to fight together but also to think together," the CDS asserted. The conclave, hosted by the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and the Army War College, was developed by Chauhan with the idea of promoting greater inter-service cooperation.
Issues to be discussed during Ran Samwad will be recent conflict analysis, future technologies of warfare, practical application of technology in the Indian military, autonomous swarm operations, coordinated drone swarms for naval multi-domain operations, training programs for integration of technology, employment of unmanned systems in land warfare, and redefining force structures and tactical operations to suit 2035.
Chauhan explained that the conclave can be a "doctrinal crucible" to frame India's combined warfighting ability. Stepping beyond the realm of abstract theory, the seminar will supply a bottom-up comprehension of warfare derived from first-hand combat experience and professional knowledge, said a defence ministry release.
"Ran Samwad aims to mature as a serious platform to deliberate global security issues and reaffirm India's security interests. It reflects the developing perception of the necessity for strategic autonomy, inter-services synergy, and legitimate military discourse focusing on Indian realities as well as international security dynamics at large," the ministry stated.
The preparation, conduct, and consequences of Operation Sindoor, including the May 7-10 military engagement with Pakistan, would be scrutinized at the conclave. Initiated in retaliation against the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in the killing of 26 individuals, Operation Sindoor included strikes against terror and military infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. From May 7 to the May 10 ceasefire, Indian forces attacked nine terror camps, killing a minimum of 100 terrorists, and struck 13 Pakistani airbases and military facilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to the evolving nature of war in his Independence Day speech, stating that India would develop a strong domestic air defence system under Mission Sudarshan Chakra in a decade to safeguard India's military and civilian infrastructure.
Three joint doctrines on multi-domain operations, Special Forces operations, and airborne/heliborne operations will be published during Ran Samwad. Defence attaches from various countries are also present at the conclave, which further underscores its global importance.
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