New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Thursday urged the Indian armed forces to build unexpected and decisive advantages which adversaries cannot counter.
“To prevail, we must create capabilities the adversaries can’t counter or do not expect. This is the essence of asymmetry,” he said while speaking at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2025, held here.
Warning of a more unstable world ahead, the CDS said that the future world could be more violent and very unstable, and militaries must be prepared for this eventuality.
Emphasising that predicting war has never been easy, the CDS said, “Predicting the future is always difficult. Warfare invents itself constantly. Concepts that appear futuristic can become obsolete even before they are implemented.”
He further added that the military leaders have no choice but to anticipate change and prepare for it. “The ability to visualize, anticipate and prepare for future conflicts therefore, becomes existential for all of us. It’s not an option.” Highlighting the unique nature of military service, he noted, “Soldiers don’t fight every day. They actually prepare for that ultimate day. And yet they’re not supposed to fail on that ultimate day because any failure in warfare can be catastrophic for a nation.”
Stating that by strategy everything is possible, Gen Chauhan said that strategy must be understood in its original military context. “When we talk about strategy in its original sense, it’s the logic of warfare and the art of preparing and applying military power. That is ranniti.”
Cautioning that technology is reshaping warfare faster than ever before, the CDS said, “Technology is making geography a bit irrelevant,” adding that the world is standing at the cusp of what he calls the third revolution in military affairs. According to him, this revolution is driven by a convergence of technologies that blends kinetic with non-kinetic and contact with non-contact warfare. “Integrated networks, automation, robotics and cognitive tools now shape the tempo and outcomes of combat,” he said.
He explained that modern warfare is being transformed through new technological characteristics. Speaking about the rise of robotics in combat, he said, “Robotics may dominate our daily life in future and this could dominate even warfare. Man and machine teaming will increasingly shape the battlefield.”
Describing how the battlefield is becoming transparent due to the massive proliferation of sensors, he observed, “The number of sensors we deploy today is phenomenal. They almost match the sensors nature has given us.”
He predicted that future conflicts will be fought instantaneously across expanding domains, including cyber, space and cognitive spheres. “The more we use a domain in daily life, the more lucrative it becomes to deny it in war. Multi-domain operations will expand,” he said.
While he acknowledged that offensive spirit would remain central to military doctrine, he suggested that traditional manoeuvres would face limitations. “Offensive manoeuvre is going to take a back seat because the battlefield has become transparent. But offensive spirit must acquire new meaning.”
