MHOW: India’s top military officer, General Anil Chauhan, on Tuesday spoke about the indigenous umbrella shield, Sudarshan Chakra, which is aimed at protecting both people and property.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) said, “The aim is to develop a system to protect India’s strategic, civilian, and nationally important sites. It will act both as a shield as well as a sword.”
He further added, “It will be India’s own Iron Dome (Israel’s missile shield) or Golden Dome.” Highlighting the scale of the project, CDS said, “A colossal amount of data will need to be analysed for information and real-time response.”
Speaking on the system’s scale for a vast country like India, General Chauhan stated that a project of this magnitude will require a whole-of-nation approach. “I am sure we will do it at an affordable cost,” he said.
General Chauhan made these remarks while delivering the keynote address at the two-day sui generis Tri-service dialogue on war, warfare and warfighting, RAN SAMWAD-2025, held at the Army War College in Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Madhya Pradesh.
The event, which brings serving military professionals to the forefront of strategic dialogue, will also feature Defence Minister Rajnath Singh delivering the plenary address on the concluding day. A few Joint Doctrines and the Technology Perspective & Capability Roadmap will also be released during the event.
His statement comes after Prime Minister Modi referred to Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which is aimed at developing military capabilities to protect the country against aerial attacks and needs to be completed within ten years.
Meanwhile, The New Indian Express reported on Sunday that India had successfully tested the maiden flight of an Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS).
As reported, the aim of the test was to strengthen the country’s air defence preparedness. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden flight-tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the coast of Odisha on Saturday.
According to DRDO, IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system comprising all-indigenous Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missiles (QRSAM), Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles, and a high-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW).
Referring to Operation Sindoor, General Chauhan described it as a modern conflict that had led to several lessons. “Most of the lessons are under implementation, and some have been implemented,” he said.
Discussing the evolving nature of battlefields, he highlighted the spectrum from precision to near-space warfare. CDS emphasised transformative shifts in military strategy, stating, “The importance of airspace today goes far beyond what we imagined,” pointing to the growing relevance of the 80–100 km near-space range for hypersonic systems and high-altitude platforms. “At the lower level, the proliferation of drones and precision bombs demands a new coordination paradigm.”
General Chauhan also addressed the enduring tension between precision and mass in warfare, calling for a balanced approach. “Precision is about sophistication, achieving specific effects with fewer resources. Mass targeting belongs to an era of raw force against vulnerable populations — a scenario unlikely to recur. Yet, we cannot discard mass altogether and say everything will be precision from tomorrow,” he asserted, acknowledging the hybrid nature of contemporary conflicts.