Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan delivered a powerful and comprehensive speech at the inaugural Tri-Services Seminar ‘Ran Samvad-2025’ held at the Army War College in Mhow. He underscored India's longstanding tradition as a peace-loving nation influenced by the teachings of luminaries like Gautam Buddha, Mahavir Jain, and Mahatma Gandhi, emphasising non-violence as a principle.

However, he firmly stated that despite this heritage, India cannot be pacifists. According to him, peace without power is utopian, famously citing the Latin maxim, "If you want peace, prepare for war," to stress the importance of maintaining robust war preparedness alongside the pursuit of peace.

General Chauhan highlighted India’s evolving understanding and approach to warfare in the modern era, indicating that the concept of victory in war has changed significantly. In contemporary conflicts, he pointed out, victory entails the impact of long-range precision strikes, the demonstration of technological sophistication across all military domains, and the control of superior narratives. He drew on ancient Indian texts like the Mahabharata and the Gita as timeless examples showing the critical interplay of military strategy and the warrior’s spirit in winning wars.

Recalling Operation Sindoor—India’s calibrated military response following the terror attack in Pahalgam—he described it as a "model conflict" from which India gleaned numerous lessons. He noted that many of these lessons are currently being implemented while some are still in progress, emphasising that this operation remains ongoing. Operation Sindoor was characterised by precise, intelligence-led strikes using advanced air and missile assets, showcasing India's mix of strategic restraint and offensive capability to impose punitive costs on terrorism sponsorship.

General Chauhan called for a renewed focus on war research and self-reliance (Atmanirbharata) in defence technology. He stressed the need for serious, innovative research across all dimensions of warfare, including leadership, motivation, and emerging technologies.

The Chief highlighted the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)'s recent integrated system program that combines Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM), Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS), and 5-kilowatt directed energy lasers, underscoring the importance of multi-domain Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). He elaborated on the need to integrate ground, air, maritime, undersea, space, and sensor data to generate a comprehensive, fused operational picture, which is vital for superior decision-making in future wars.

He emphasised the transformative role of data and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), advanced computation, big data analytics, large language models (LLM), and quantum tech, in providing real-time, actionable intelligence. This, he said, would enable faster and more precise responses at minimal and affordable costs.

Of special significance was his mention of 'Sudarshan Chakra,' heralded as India's own version of an Iron Dome or "Golden Dome." This upcoming defence system aims to protect India's strategic, civilian, and nationally important sites, acting both as a shield and a sword.

It will integrate robust infrastructure and processes for detection, acquisition, and neutralisation of aerial threats using both kinetic weapons and directed energy systems, blending hard and soft skills. This reflects India’s ambition to safeguard sovereignty by deploying cutting-edge integrated air defence capabilities by around 2035.

General Anil Chauhan’s speech at Ran Samvad-2025 articulated a clear and confident vision of India as a nation committed to peace but fully prepared for the complexities of future warfare. He envisions India as a technologically advanced power that blends ancient strategic wisdom with modern innovation, fully self-reliant in defence technologies, and ready to face multi-domain, high-tech challenges in an ever-evolving security environment.

The speech projected a blend of prudence and preparedness, emphasising strategic deterrence, scientific innovation, and integration across all military domains and technologies to ensure India’s national security well into the future.

Based On ANI Report