NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, on Wednesday stressed the need to modernise the weapon systems in the armed forces and said that today’s warfare has to be fought with “tomorrow’s technology”.
He also hailed the use of indigenous weapons during Operation Sindoor and underlined the need to invest and build in the country.
“Can’t win today’s warfare with yesterday’s weapon systems; today’s warfare has to be fought with tomorrow’s technology,” CDS Chauhan said, while addressing a workshop on UAV and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) indigenisation in the Capital.
He noted that India must reduce its dependence on niche tech from foreign countries. “Dependence on imported technologies weakens our preparedness,” he said.
Revisiting the Operation Sindoor, he said that Pakistan had used unarmed drones and loitering munitions on May 10, when the military conflict was at its peak, and pointed out that none of them managed to inflict any damage to the Indian infrastructure.
“During Operation Sindoor, on 10th May, Pakistan used unarmed drones and loitering munitions. None of them inflicted any damage to the Indian military or civil infrastructure. Most were neutralised through a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic means, and some were even recovered in almost intact condition,” General Chauhan said.
“Operation Sindoor has shown us why indigenously developed counter-UAS systems built for our terrain are crucial. We must invest and build to safeguard ourselves,” he added. India launched Operation Sindoor early on May 7 with precision strikes on multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives.
The CDS also highlighted the growing role of drones in modern warfare.
He said recent conflicts globally have demonstrated how drones can “shift tactical balance disproportionately”, and asserted that self-reliance in UAVs and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) is a “strategic imperative” for India.
The CDS, in his keynote address, said drones are proof of reality, and their widespread utility in recent conflicts demonstrates how drones can shift tactical balance disproportionately to their size or price.
“Asymmetric drone warfare is making large platforms vulnerable and driving militaries to rethink the conceptual aspects of air doctrines, development of C-UAS and adaptive moves of engagement,” he said.
Gen Chauhan cautioned that foreign weapons, sensors and their capabilities are known to all, and adversaries can “predict our tactics and doctrinal concepts” based on the capabilities of these systems. “But, if it developed on our own, then an element of surprise can be added, at least in initial encounters.”
Military leaders, defence experts, scientists, policymakers and private industry representatives gathered here to develop a “strategic roadmap” for indigenisation, with an overarching aim to reduce dependency on foreign companies for critical UAV and C-UAS components.
“In the rapidly evolving landscape of non-contact warfare, UAVs have emerged as a transformative force. For India, self-reliance in UAVs and C-UAS technologies is not only a strategic imperative, but it is also about empowering itself to chart its destiny, safeguard its interests and seize the opportunities of the future,” the CDS said.
In his address, he emphasised the importance of technology in warfare and underlined the evolutionary phases through which rifles, guns, ammunition and other platforms have gone through to become smaller, more potent, and convenient to use.
Brigadier Anshuman Narang (retd) made a presentation on ‘Operation Sindoor: Importance of Indigenisation and Lessons Learnt’. He cited the use of drones and counter-drone systems in the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Iran conflict to underline their power driven by technological innovation that can make even large installations vulnerable to their attacks.
He asserted that indigenisation should not just be limited to a drone or a technology, but the entire architecture.
Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, in his message for the event, said, “India today stands at a strategic inflection point”.
“Our armed forces and paramilitary agencies increasingly rely on UAVs for ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), targeting, logistics and precision strike. However, the core ecosystem is still significantly dependent on foreign technology,” he said.
India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India in defence production necessitates a “comprehensive roadmap” to achieve self-reliance in drone and counter-drone technologies, Air Marshal Dixit added.
The event is expected to serve as a catalyst for innovation, knowledge sharing, and long-term capability building in unmanned systems. An exhibition of defence products by different companies was hosted at the venue.