Multi-domain operations now a reality: CDS Chauhan

By Arif Rashid
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11 Apr 2026

‘Goal is paralysis of adversary, not destruction’

Srinagar, April 10: Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan on Friday said that India’s armed forces must evolve into an integrated structure capable of operating across domains, as the nature of warfare continues to change.

Delivering the closing address at the ‘Ran Samvad’ seminar in Bengaluru, he said multi-domain operations are no longer a concept but an operational reality, driven by developments in data analytics, artificial intelligence and the changing character of conflict.

“MDOs were chosen for this year’s theme not because it’s a buzzword, but I think it’s a kind of new reality,” he said.

Chauhan said the seminar was designed to bring serving officers into discussions on future warfare. “Normally, it’s veterans or think tanks who would express their views. So I reversed that particular trend,” he said, adding that those in service are more closely engaged with current changes.

CDS said discussions at the seminar covered force structure, organisational systems and the role of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. He said the issue is not availability of information but the speed and quality of its interpretation.

Referring to the OODA loop developed by John Boyd, he said decision-making speed remains central to outcomes. “Whoever completes this particular cycle faster than the adversary will win a combat,” he said. "Predictive systems are changing this process. Today, because of the predictive nature of AI, you should be able to orient yourself first before you can even observe.”

Chauhan said conflict is no longer limited to the physical domain and includes other forms. “All warfare till now has been in the physical domain. Then for us to imagine that warfare will move into a new kind of reality, synthetic in nature and cognitive in nature, is actually difficult to understand,” he said.

CDS said outcomes in conflict are also shaped at the political level.“If you can achieve your political objectives without actually firing, then of course, it’s a different kind of reality,” he said.

He said warfare now extends beyond land, sea and air to include time, cyberspace, electromagnetic spectrum and cognition, adding that operations involve both physical and non-physical means.

“It’s not destruction, it’s actually a paralysis of the adversary,” he added.

Chauhan said institutional systems such as networks, procedures and shared understanding are required for such operations. He added that the seminar examined the level of coordination among the three services and areas that need attention.

He said security challenges do not follow borders and require cooperation among countries.

CDS said the next edition of ‘Ran Samvad’ in 2027 will be hosted by the Navy and will focus on high-intensity operations in an expanded battlespace, with participation from serving officers.