Kamal Ghorui
BENGALURU: Lessons from Operation Sindoor, particularly the battle against disinformation, are now shaping how the Indian Army prepares for future wars, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi said on Thursday, framing them as central to the shift towards multi-domain operations (MDO).Speaking at Ran Samvad 2026 in Bengaluru, the Army chief said nearly 15% of the effort during the operation went into managing information warfare, underlining how modern conflicts extend far beyond the battlefield. “The military population today is not just 12 lakh personnel, but 1.3 crore when you include veterans and families. All of them are part of the information space,” he noted.
Op Sindoor templateThe operation demonstrated that no single domain determines outcomes. Ground intelligence networks, combined with cyber and electronic warfare inputs, enabled precision targeting by Army and Air Force units, while naval deployments shaped the broader strategic calculus. “No single domain decided the battle. It was the sequence and synergy across domains that mattered,” he said.One key institutional outcome has been the creation of a dedicated Psychological Defence Division (PDD), aimed at countering disinformation and managing narratives in real time.A ‘permanent conflict’ worldGeneral Dwivedi described the current global environment as one of “dispersed, undeclared, multi-theatre, multi-domain world war”, where new actors — from merchants of war to citizens — are constantly shaping outcomes. “Every day, a new lesson is drawn and an old myth is shattered,” he said.Battlefield no longer linearFor land forces, the battlefield has expanded into a layered, multi-domain space. Kinetic operations on the ground now unfold alongside cyber attacks, space-enabled targeting and electronic warfare.“A commander who sees only his sector sees only a fraction of the battle,” he said, stressing that cross-domain awareness is now as critical as firepower.Concept to capabilityThe Army, he said, is moving steadily towards full MDO capability through a structured transformation:■ Doctrine: A joint MDO doctrine issued in August 2025 provides a common framework across the three services.■ Exercises: Dedicated multi-domain exercises since 2024, involving other ministries and agencies.■ Force restructuring: Integrated battle groups — sanctioned after six years, with the support of the CDS — Rudra Brigades, Aero Battalions, ISR and special operations brigades, drone batteries, new signal regiments and all-arms formations.■ Technology integration: Use of drones (from FPV to heavy-lift), cyber networks, and space-based assets.■ Information warfare: New organisations, including the Psychological Defence Division.“In essence, we are largely, if not fully, multi-domain enabled,” he said. The Army has also declared 2026 and 2027 as years of networking and data, following 2024 and 2025 which were designated years of technology adoption.Three defining shiftsThe Army chief outlined what he called the “3Ds” of modern warfare:■ Dispersion: Forces spread out, avoiding concentrated targets.■ Democratisation: Advanced capabilities now accessible even to smaller and non-state actors.■ Diffusion: No single domain delivers decisive outcomes.These trends, he said, demand diversification of assets, delegation of command and distributed responses.Challenges remainDespite progress, gaps persist in synchronising operations across domains and levels of war — strategic, operational and tactical. Non-kinetic domains such as cyber and cognitive warfare also require closer integration with conventional operations.The broader goal, General Dwivedi said, is to move from “domain silos” to full “domain fusion” — a six-step progression from each service operating independently through coordination, synchronisation and jointness, towards integration and finally fusion, where distinctions between land, air, sea, cyber and space blur into a unified operational framework.“The advantage will lie with those who can command technology, not merely operate it,” he said, adding that future commanders must evolve into “techno-commanders” capable of delivering effects across domains.
