CHANGING NATURE OF WARFARE AND INDIA'S PREPAREDNESS

PAST EVENTS

28 JANUARY 2022

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AGENDA

CHAIR

MAJ.GEN RAJAN KOCHHAR

VSM

@Gen_Rajan

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PANELIST

Lt.Gen.K.J.Singh, PVSM, AVSM

@kayjay34350

Lt.Gen Shokin Chauhan, PVSM,AVSM,YSM,SM,VSM

@kayjay34350

Lt.Gen Sanjay Kulkarni, PVSM,AVSM,SC,SM,VSM

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PCRI conducted the first session of the second day of “Hifazat: Upgrading India's Arsenal: Scope, Challenges and Outcomes”. The event witnessed the presence of Maj Gen Dr.Rajan Kochhar, VSM as session chair and Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan, Lt Gen K J Singh, and Lt Gen Sanjay Kulkarni as the speakers of the session.

The opening remarks were provided by the Chairman of the PCRI, Mr. Priyanshu Pandey. He gave a brief about the organization and the activities undertaken in the recent months.

With the opening remarks, Major General Dr. Rajan Kochhar, the chair of the event, welcomed the speakers. He provided a five-pronged approach to operational preparedness, where organizing, training and equipping the armed forces for combat to ensure their success in war. The five pillars which need to be addressed are organizational structure, support, training, simulation and high technological advancements. He believes that AI can ensure faster and safer getaways in a cost-effective manner. He also said that there is indeed a need for a new national security strategy, which would be discussed in the session.

In his opening remarks, Lt. Gen. KJ Singh thanked PCRI for organizing the event and providing him the avenue to speak. He added that though China was addressed as an enemy some decades back, not everyone was in agreement. He highlighted the need to comprehend the technological advances China has achieved in modernizing its defense forces. He believes that China in comparison to India is playing it safe with border issues in India. India has to play to its strengths, i.e., its ability to function better than China in higher altitudes.

Lt. Gen. Sanjay Kulkarni in his opening remarks highlighted the contemporary threats from Pakistan & China. He added that Pakistan only got the audacity after India lost the war to the Chinese in 1962, and it was the Pakistanis who instigated the Chinese to unsettle India with proxies in Jammu and Kashmir. He agrees that there is indeed a need to build a national security strategy with the help of comprehensive national power. All the forces need to align with each other and work with synergy.

Lt. Gen. Shokin Chauhan in his opening remarks outlined the evolving nature of warfare. He added that planning of the future is always dependent on the available resources. There must be clarity in India’s strategy. After all,there are two prominent enemies in India’s borders. The nature of warfare is dependent on whatever is available to us. We can only fight with something that we already have. There are obviously ups and downs for every technology and that needs to be evaluated. Finally, the issues with the two enemies must be dealt with first and then the other issues can be focused on.

Moreover, With reference to the comparison of India and other countries when it comes to the organizational structure, Lt. Gen. KJ Singh gave a comprehensive understanding of the cases of China and the US and compared them with that of India. He believes that there is a need to focus more on the three fronts in which India has issues with China and Pakistan. There are several commands that could be created, such as the Air Defence Command, Maritime Command, and others. There are no obvious solutions to these, he concluded, but efforts must be made.

In the question of the correct model for theatrization of commands, Lt. Gen. Kulkarni said that India needs to understand its primary enemies. The area of India which both China and Pakistan have occupied can show the priority. Budgetary issues will remain without doubt, he said, but the aim is to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty. India requires having an understanding of its geographical theaters. He believes that air supremacy is also pertinent.

In the question of visualization of the theatrization, Lt. Gen. Shokin Chauhan said that the allocation of the resources of all three of the armed forces is needed to be done with care. Before getting into competition with anyone, it is better if we look within one and prepare with the available resources. There is also a need for a clear perception of our threats. Finally, he agreed with other speakers that there is certainly a need to deal with the enemies of India first.

In the question of what India has learnt from wars it fought , Lt.Gen. Sanjay Kulkarni said that despite of the technological advancement of India, there still is need of enough things to be done. There were several lessons, for example, the war of 1971 was a short and swift war, people were in the same page as the armed forces; all the armed forces were unified under the command of Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw, the alliance with a superpower (USSR) and supremacy in air. The requirements in the present though are certainly modernization and the indigenization of the armed forces.

Concluding Remarks

Lt. Gen. KJ Singh: There is a need for national security policy. Along with that there is a need of a National Defence University as well. India is strong, people within India need to be taught to believe in their military. Targets are needed to be clarified and finally capability- building measures must be taken.

Lt. Gen. Sanjay. Kulkarni: There are two enemies which need the most attention at the moment. India needs to work on its available strength. It needs to build its infrastructure while ensuring the budget issues.

Lt. Gen. Shaukin. Chauhan: The scenario of war is changing. The arena of wars is changing due to emergence of new technology. India needs to understand what is important for itself and has to act upon it. There are several questions that India would need to address, like whether nuclear war is imminent or not, is there are possibility of land conflict or not, is there any possibility of a war by proxy within the country or not. These issues must be addressed. India must understand that it must be ready for all sorts of wars.

Special Remarks by Lt. Gen. Rakesh Sharma: Despite the changing complexities of war, and the fact that the future is uncertain, India has to take its stance rather clearly. Negotiations do not always work. There are issues of sovereignty that need to be focused on. The redefinition of war in his opinion is that ‘War is war.’ There are no types within it.

Maj Gen. Dr. Rajan Kochhar: He agreed with the statements of everyone and highlighted that the armed forces need customization and the redistribution of resources is needed. He also said that the theaters have to be self-determined. Also, there is a need to understand the enemies as well.