The Battlefield and Change
Kartavya Desk Staff
Syllabus: Security
Source: TH
Context: At the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2025 in Kolkata, Prime Minister emphasised moving from service silos to integrated theatre commands to prepare India’s armed forces for future multi-domain wars.
About The Battlefield and Change:
Changing nature of warfare:
• AI and Automation – Artificial intelligence enables faster decision-making and autonomous systems, but increases risks of cyber sabotage and ethical dilemmas.
• Drones and Precision Weapons – Low-cost drones and precision-guided munitions make attacks more lethal and accessible, altering traditional battlefield calculations.
• Cyber & Information Warfare – Wars now extend to digital and psychological domains, where misinformation and hacking can cripple critical infrastructure without a shot fired.
• Two-Front Threat – India must be combat-ready for simultaneous pressure from China and Pakistan, demanding jointness, structural reforms, and tech-driven preparedness.
From coordination to command:
• Theatre commands push – PM of India in 2025 urged shifting from service silos to integrated theatre commands for unified operational command.
• Inter-Services Rules 2025 – Empower commanders with administrative and disciplinary authority to ensure true jointness in field operations.
• Tri-service agencies raised – Cyber, space and special operations wings under HQ IDS boost integrated defence preparedness.
• New modular groups – Units like “Rudra” & “Bhairav” merge infantry, armour, artillery and surveillance for rapid mission-specific deployment.
• Amphibious doctrine – Framework created for land-air-sea synergy, but India still lags China’s mature integrated commands.
Doctrinal and technological evolution:
• Joint doctrines – The 2017 and 2018 doctrines laid basic principles of synergy, now needing modernisation for multi-domain wars.
• Ran Samvad seminar – Stressed building “hybrid warriors” who combine tactical skills with coding, cyber, and information warfare.
• MQ-9B drones – Provide persistent ISR and precision strike, strengthening tri-service employment across borders and seas.
• Rafale-M jets – Enhance carrier aviation, giving Navy strong maritime strike and fleet air defence capacity.
• Akashteer AI network – Integrates Army’s air defence with IAF’s command system, enabling faster and automated responses.
Creating a modern force:
• Integrated Battle Groups – “Rudra” brigades designed to deploy within 12–48 hrs with multi-domain assets for fast response.
• Pralay missile trials – Quasi-ballistic missiles expand India’s land-based theatre strike capability against hardened targets.
• Carrier-centric Navy – Rafale-M stabilises near-term air wings while Navy charts 15-year roadmap for manned & unmanned dominance.
• Civil-military fusion – Strong integration of DRDO, PSUs, private firms and universities into PME will fast-track innovation.
Way forward:
• Gradual theatre commands – Start with limited mandates and expand, balancing inter-service differences with operational needs.
• Standardised systems – Unified data and interface protocols will ensure seamless communication and interoperability.
• Technologist-commanders – PME must embed AI, cyber, coding and tech training into leadership to create adaptive warriors.
• Industrial ecosystem – Rapid prototyping, repeated field trials, and discarding outdated systems will keep the military agile.
Conclusion:
The battlefield of the future will be multi-domain where speed, information, and adaptability matter as much as firepower. For India, achieving true jointness, civil-military fusion, and technological integration is essential to face evolving threats and remain operationally decisive.