Modern Warfare and India’s Emerging Security Challenges

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence/ Internal Security

Context

• The Chief of the Army Staff during his address to the the UAE National Defence College (NDC) highlighted the changing character of modern warfare, marked by the convergence of conventional and non-conventional threats.

What Is Modern Warfare?

• Modern warfare refers to contemporary conflict conducted simultaneously across land, sea, air, cyber, space, and information domains.
• It is characterised by the integration of conventional military power with hybrid, asymmetric, and grey-zone tactics, often employed below the threshold of declared war.

Key Technologies Shaping Modern Warfare

• Artificial intelligence enables real-time intelligence processing, predictive battlefield analysis, automated logistics, and decision-support systems.
  • Data dominance has emerged as a force multiplier, with militaries relying on big data, machine learning, and sensor fusion for situational awareness.
• Unmanned and Autonomous Systems: Drones, loitering munitions, and unmanned ground and naval platforms have transformed surveillance and strike capabilities.
• Cyber and Information Warfare: It targets critical infrastructure, command-and-control systems, and military networks, often during peacetime.
  • Information warfare includes disinformation campaigns, psychological operations, and narrative control, aimed at shaping public perception and political outcomes.
• Counter-Space Capabilities: Space-based assets are central to navigation, missile guidance, surveillance, and secure communications.
  • Anti-satellite weapons, electronic interference, and space debris risks have made space a contested and weaponised domain.
• Precision-guided munitions and hypersonic weapons allow stand-off attacks with minimal warning time, challenging traditional deterrence and air defence systems.
  • Long-range fires enable influence deep into adversary territory without physical occupation.

Threats Posed by Modern Warfare to India

• Hybrid and Grey-Zone Challenges: India faces persistent grey-zone tactics, including cyber intrusions, disinformation campaigns, and proxy violence.
  • The Doklam (2017) and Ladakh standoff (2020) illustrate how coercion can occur without full-scale war.
• Cyber and Information Vulnerabilities: India ranks among the top five countries targeted by cyber attacks, according to CERT-In assessments.
  • Disinformation campaigns risk undermining social cohesion, electoral processes, and institutional trust.
• Maritime and Space Security Risks: Over 90% of India’s trade by volume moves through sea routes, making maritime security vital.
  • Dependence on space-based assets exposes India to counter-space threats affecting both civilian services and military operations.

India’s Institutional and Strategic Response

• Military Modernisation and Indigenisation: India’s defence capital outlay for 2025–26 was around ₹1.8 lakh crore, with over 75% earmarked for domestic procurement.
  • Indigenous platforms such as Tejas, Akash, Pinaka, and armed UAVs enhance self-reliance and operational flexibility.
• Structural Reforms: The creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) following the Shekatkar Committee recommendations aims to enhance joint planning and integration.
  • Proposed Integrated Theatre Commands are designed to enable unified multi-domain operations.
• Establishment of the Defence Cyber Agency (DCA) and Defence Space Agency (DSA) institutionalises emerging warfighting domains.
  • India’s Defence Space Doctrine (2023) outlines the role of space in national security.
• India’s Mission Shakti (2019) demonstrated anti-satellite capability, reflecting growing space militarisation.

Way Ahead

• Modern warfare demands a shift from platform-centric approaches to capability-based, technology-driven force planning. India must accelerate AI adoption, cyber resilience, space security, and jointness reforms.
• Sustained investment in human capital, defence innovation, and strategic partnerships will be crucial to maintain credible deterrence.
• Adapting to the evolving character of warfare is essential for safeguarding India’s sovereignty, stability, and strategic autonomy in a rapidly changing global order.

Source: TH