NEW DELHI: Building on the success of the inaugural course held in September 2024, the expanded second edition three-week pioneering tri-services Future Warfare Course is scheduled to commence at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi from 21 April to 09 May 2025, under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS).
The sources said, “FWC focuses on developing an erudite understanding on how war fighting is being impacted by technology, necessitating a relook at our thinking, concepts, doctrines, strategies and TTPs (Tactics, Training and Procedures). The course caters for deeper exploration of critical topics, practical demonstrations of emerging technologies and visits to institutions of critical importance to the capabilities of the Armed Forces.”
The course is part of the vision of Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan to prepare officers for the complex challenges of modern warfare. HQ-IDS is a point organisation for jointmanship in the Ministry of Defence which integrates policy, doctrine, warfighting and procurement.
The first edition of the course was of five day duration and was a pilot course “which was intended to get multi spectrum tri service inputs on what all this course should include. Also, it did not have any industry reps or visits which are part of the second course. As we progress along the second edition, we will explore if it needs more time for deeper understanding and debate.” Another source said.
The course maintains its rank-agnostic approach, albeit with an enhanced and diverse participation.
“The attendees in the course range from Major Generals to Majors and their equivalent officers from other services, along with representatives from DRDO and the defence industry including defence startups, MSMEs, DPSUs and private industry. This edition features an enhanced curriculum covering specialised subjects and domain-specific warfare developments in military operations.”, said the sources.
FWS has been kept Rank agnostic as the forces require integrating strategy, operational art and tactics with evolving technologies.
“The senior officers will be more adept at giving the strategic and operational guidance while the younger officers can provide the tactical and technological inputs. When both merge, a lucid understanding of future wars, voids and capacity building will emerge.”
Another reason for the course profile to be kept rank agnostic is “so officers at all levels of service realise the need for thinking and preparing for the future. Some start when they are at decision making level and some commencing young so they are geared up for future challenges.”, added the second source.
The course will align operational priorities with the capabilities of the indigenous defence industry and enable a free flowing discussion on the various facets of modern and futuristic war fighting.
The diverse range of experts including veterans, serving officers, foreign affairs specialists, industry experts and academic professionals will ensure that a holistic analysis of India’s security challenges are debated in a threadbare and professional manner.
The second edition continues the larger mission of making the Indian Armed Forces "Future Ready," fostering jointness and integration among the services and developing strategic leaders equipped to navigate the increasingly complex landscape of modern warfare, added the source.