Navigating Hybrid Warfare: India's Defense Strategy Unveiled

At the Raisina Dialogue, Gen Anil Chauhan addressed the challenges of training military personnel to tackle hybrid and conventional warfare. He emphasized the threat of disinformation and the importance of technology, noting India's unique geopolitical landscape. Chauhan highlighted the need for both strategic minds and technological advancements.

At the Raisina Dialogue, India's preeminent conference on geopolitics, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan underscored the formidable challenge of preparing military personnel for both hybrid and traditional warfare. He identified disinformation as a pivotal issue affecting India, a nation characterized by its multicultural, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic fabric.

Emphasizing cognitive warfare as an emerging threat, Gen Chauhan highlighted the necessity of addressing national security threats which include asymmetric and sub-conventional conflicts. By doing so, he subtly referenced India's regional tensions, particularly with Pakistan, while stressing that technology, although vital, cannot replace human involvement in conflict scenarios.

Gen Chauhan further discussed new-age combat zones, where the focus shifts from physical landscapes to psychological battlegrounds. He pointed out that shaping the mindscape is essential in hybrid warfare, which requires a balance between advanced technological tools and human strategic acumen to safeguard India's security interests.

(With inputs from agencies.)