NEW DELHI: The Centre plans to create specialised new entities for data, drones and cognitive warfare while expanding missile defence capabilities to protect critical national assets, according to a long-term roadmap for the armed forces published Thursday.
The roadmap titled ‘Defence Forces Vision 2047’, was uploaded on the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) website, laying out a blueprint for the organisational and technological evolution of the military over the next two decades.
The document proposes the creation of four new tri-service entities, including a Defence Geo-Spatial Agency, a Data Force, a Drone Force and a Cognitive Warfare Action Force, which reflect the growing centrality of data, unmanned systems and perception warfare in contemporary conflicts.
These formations are intended to support the armed forces’ shift towards data-centric and multi-domain warfare, where emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems and advanced analytics are expected to increasingly shape battlefield outcomes.
The plan also divides the military’s transformation into three phases leading up to the centenary of India’s independence in 2047.
“The goals for the Vision are to be achieved in three progressive timelines, i.e. an era of transition from now till 2030, followed by a decade of consolidation lasting till 2040 and finally an era of excellence coinciding with the 100th year of Indian independence,” it reads.
The first phase, running until 2030, is described as an “era of transition”, focusing on organisational restructuring, strengthening deterrence and building indigenous capabilities. It also envisages strengthening border control, improving maritime and air domain awareness and integrating emerging technologies such as drones and autonomous systems into combat operations.
The subsequent phase between 2030 and 2040 will focus on consolidating these capabilities and integrating cyber and space operations into conventional warfare.
A key component of this phase will be the operationalisation of Project Sudarshan Chakra, which envisages a layered air and ballistic missile defence architecture to shield critical infrastructure and civilian centres from aerial threats.
Ten days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the project in his Independence Day address last year, India took the first step towards Project Sudarshan Chakra by conducting the maiden flight tests of its Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the Odisha coast as part of efforts to build a multi-layered air defence network.
The roadmap also says that the armed forces will “expand the Ballistic Missile Defence and Air Defence systems for the defence of economic and strategic assets as also civilian installations against multi-domain threats as part of mission Sudarshan Chakra.”
By the final phase between 2040 and 2047, the aim is to develop a world-class military capable of operating seamlessly across land, air, maritime, cyber, space and cognitive domains.
The overarching objective, the document reads, is “to be an integrated all-domain force, dynamic and self-reliant in thought and capabilities, ready to respond across the full spectrum of conflict.”