BENGALURU: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said warfare is evolving at a rapid pace, becoming more complex, technology-driven and less predictable. He emphasised the need for structural and doctrinal reforms within India's armed forces, with a focus on reducing the military's reaction time.
On the sidelines of Ran Samwad 2026 that concluded, Chauhan said on Friday that traditional domains of land, sea and air remain relatively slower, structured and predictable, having evolved over decades. However, newer domains such as cyber, space and the electromagnetic spectrum are faster, less predictable and driven by rapid technological change. He said India is also reviewing its mandated military reaction time in view of the changing nature of warfare and evolving regional dynamics.
Modern conflicts, he noted, broadly reflect two patterns - prolonged, high-cost conventional wars such as those seen in Ukraine and Gaza, and precise, technology-driven “smart warfare.” India must remain prepared for both large-scale conventional conflict and advanced, technology-enabled operations.
Against this backdrop, Chauhan highlighted theatre commands as a key reform to enhance operational efficiency, with the discussions concluded, the proposal will be presented to the Defence Minister and then to the cabinet.
The concept, which has consensus among the three services, separates force generation from force application, with service chiefs focusing on raising and sustaining forces, and theatre commanders handling operations. He added that aspects such as structure, location and sequencing are still under discussion and will evolve over time, with existing regional commands to be reorganised under theatre commands.
He said joint headquarters will integrate operations, intelligence and logistics, while intelligence systems will be streamlined. On multi-domain operations, he noted that models are still evolving globally, with India already issuing a doctrine being incorporated into training and exercises.
Chauhan emphasised that decisions on future platforms must be taken by individual services, while India’s focus remains border security alongside humanitarian missions abroad. He highlighted indigenisation efforts as “phenomenal,” and stressed that national security requires a whole-of-nation approach.
He added that discussions also focused on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, where the key challenge is not lack of information but the speed and quality of interpretation. Artificial intelligence and data analytics, he said, will transform decision-making cycles.
Earlier in his closing address, referring to the OODA loop conceptualised by John Boyd, he said victory will depend on completing decision cycles faster than the adversary, adding that predictive AI may allow forces to orient even before observing.
Highlighting the changing nature of conflict, Chauhan said warfare is moving beyond the physical domain into synthetic and cognitive realms, where outcomes are shaped not only on the battlefield but also at the political level.
Announcing the next edition, he said the 2027 'Ran Samvad' will be hosted by the Indian Navy, focusing on "high-intensity operations in a transparent and expanded battle space," with greater participation expected from younger and mid-level officers.