Dr Ambedkar Nagar (Madhya Pradesh) [India], August 27 (ANI): Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Wednesday highlighted the need for “hybrid warriors” capable of operating across multiple domains of conflict, from border battles to urban counter-terror operations.
Speaking at the valedictory address of Run Samwad 2025, the first Tri-Services Seminar held at the Army War College in Mhow, Gen Chauhan said, “I think future warfare will demand hybrid warriors; they should be able to fight on borders, manoeuvre in deserts, plan complex anti-terror operations in dense urban terrain, neutralise drones and decode cyber intrusions. ‘Shaastra’ and ‘Shastra’ have to go together, if we have to fight and win.”
He noted that deliberations during the two-day seminar had established the need to adapt to changing dynamics of warfare. On Tuesday, he stressed that India must be armed, secure, and self-reliant to fulfil the vision of a Viksit Bharat. “As a Viksit Bharat, we also need to be ‘Sashastra’ (armed), ‘Suraksit’ (secure) and ‘Aatmanirbhar’ (self-reliant), not only in technology, but also in ideas and in practice,” he said, calling for increased academic focus on doctrines, concepts, and warfighting techniques.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, Gen Chauhan reiterated that India is a peace-loving nation but cannot be pacifist. “India has always stood on the side of peace. We are a peace-loving nation, but don’t get mistaken, we cannot be pacifists… if you want peace, prepare for war,” he said. Citing historical examples, he emphasised that wisdom must complement weaponry in war, referencing the Mahabharata, Chandragupta and Chanakya, as well as India’s tradition of non-violence through figures like Gautam Buddha, Mahavir Jain, and Mahatma Gandhi.
Gen Chauhan urged contemporary military scholars to engage in discourse on strategy and operations across all dimensions of warfare. He stressed that future battlefields will not recognise service boundaries and called for rapid, joint responses across domains to ensure success.
Highlighting the importance of Aatmanirbharta in defence and integrated logistics, the CDS reaffirmed that jointness is central to India’s military transformation. He underscored the need to institutionalise joint training and integrate evolving technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cyber, and Quantum to enhance operational capability.
Additionally, he mentioned India’s Sudarshan Chakra project, envisioned as both “a shield and a sword”, highlighting the development of multi-domain capabilities as crucial to future victory. (ANI)
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