New Delhi: Advances in technology have impacted warfare, but technology advantage can only be reduced to the tactical level when it is taken away from the larger strategic context and considered the "sole driver" of success in war, Army Chief General Manoj Pandey said. Wednesday.
In his address at a seminar here, he also said that technologies are emerging in uncharted territories, and "are revolutionizing various sectors and establishing a 'new normal'."
Gen Pandey further said technology has "emerged as the new strategic arena of competition, driving geopolitical powerplays and being leveraged for weaponisation of multiple domains from information to supply chains".Army Chief He was addressing a gathering during a seminar on "The Year of Technology Absorption: Empowering the Soldiers" organized by a defense think-tank at the Manekshaw Center in Delhi Cantonment.From a warfare perspective, technology has evolved significantly over the centuries and has "deeply influenced warfare", he said.
General Pandey cited the examples of rifles, railways, telegraphs and ironclad ships in the wars of the 19th century; Machine guns, tanks, airplanes, aircraft carriers, and nuclear weapons in the wars of the 20th century; As for specific technologies that have entered the military sphere today, he said, "They all highlight examples of how technologies change the face of wars and influence their outcomes".
History shows that armies that have managed to adopt and integrate new technologies have gained battlefield advantages and achieved success, he underlined.
The use of technologies such as computers, radar, code-breaking and aircraft production by the Allies in World War II was instrumental in making them victorious, while in the early years of the war, it was Germany and Japan that took advantage of their industrial and technological advances.The army chief said there is the potential to "earn a massive advantage" over the Allies. On the other hand, technological advantage can be reduced to the level of mere strategy when taken away from the larger strategic context and It is considered the only driver of success in war. Vietnam and Afghanistan are examples of that," he stressed. ,
"Therefore, understanding new technologies, harnessing their potential to achieve strategic superiority - the essence of leveraging technology from a warfighting perspective," the Army chief said.
The Indian Army is celebrating 2024 as 'Technology Absorption Year'.The Army Chief emphasized the ethos of 'self-reliance' which the force seeks to enhance and achieve in line with the government's vision of self-reliance in defence.
He said, "Technologies are constantly evolving. They are emerging into new uncharted territories, revolutionizing and establishing a 'new normal' in various sectors, interconnected with each other across various disciplines and businesses. Available from."
The Army Chief said the military-technical scenario today witnesses "manifold increase in lethality and accuracy of kinetic equipment and proliferation of technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, 3 printing and nanotechnology", he reiterated. That emerging technologies are no longer superpower-centric, with even non-state actors gaining access to modern technology, both for the military and employing it for "asymmetric advantage in conflict".He explained how recent conflicts have revealed important insights into how disruptive and dual-use technologies – and their proliferation on an unprecedented scale – are changing the character of modern wars.
A suite of digital technologies – including electronic warfare micro-electronics, drones, precision strike systems, loiter munitions and star link terminals – are “challenging conventional force multipliers”, he said. "Surveillance and precision are scoring over fire and maneuver, and the traditional force ratio that was the measure of military strength and superiority in the past has been blunted today," General. Pandey said.
He stressed that the battlefield impact provided by disruptive technology-driven systems mandates new predictive models to assess the potential superiority of war.The art of warfare has expanded into new areas such as space, cyber, electromagnetic spectrum and information. The scope of gray zone warfare has also "expanded" due to technological advances. As a result of these developments, the Army chief said, the battlefield "has become more complex and deadly and will remain so in the future."
The impact of external dependence on critical components, supply disruptions and the “weaponization of regimes in denial” were also highlighted during the pandemic and by lessons from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said.
“We need to recognize that, even if we import some warfare systems, no country will share the latest, advanced and critical technology.Relying on imports for critical technologies therefore runs the risk of being a technological lag behind in specific sectors. "Therefore, the need to achieve self-reliance in critical technologies and war fighting platforms and systems through indigenous research and development is an "imperative", he said.
Theoretical adaptation, as a result of technology adoption, is an inevitability. We need to align our principles and strategies with the prevailing operating paradigm. To maximize the battlefield capability of modern weapon systems it is important to refine operational philosophies, employment concepts, and tactics to suit the combat effects arising from new technologies.“He said this will continue to be an ongoing process.
In his address at a seminar here, he also said that technologies are emerging in uncharted territories, and "are revolutionizing various sectors and establishing a 'new normal'."
Gen Pandey further said technology has "emerged as the new strategic arena of competition, driving geopolitical powerplays and being leveraged for weaponisation of multiple domains from information to supply chains".Army Chief He was addressing a gathering during a seminar on "The Year of Technology Absorption: Empowering the Soldiers" organized by a defense think-tank at the Manekshaw Center in Delhi Cantonment.From a warfare perspective, technology has evolved significantly over the centuries and has "deeply influenced warfare", he said.
General Pandey cited the examples of rifles, railways, telegraphs and ironclad ships in the wars of the 19th century; Machine guns, tanks, airplanes, aircraft carriers, and nuclear weapons in the wars of the 20th century; As for specific technologies that have entered the military sphere today, he said, "They all highlight examples of how technologies change the face of wars and influence their outcomes".
History shows that armies that have managed to adopt and integrate new technologies have gained battlefield advantages and achieved success, he underlined.
The use of technologies such as computers, radar, code-breaking and aircraft production by the Allies in World War II was instrumental in making them victorious, while in the early years of the war, it was Germany and Japan that took advantage of their industrial and technological advances.The army chief said there is the potential to "earn a massive advantage" over the Allies. On the other hand, technological advantage can be reduced to the level of mere strategy when taken away from the larger strategic context and It is considered the only driver of success in war. Vietnam and Afghanistan are examples of that," he stressed. ,
"Therefore, understanding new technologies, harnessing their potential to achieve strategic superiority - the essence of leveraging technology from a warfighting perspective," the Army chief said.
The Indian Army is celebrating 2024 as 'Technology Absorption Year'.The Army Chief emphasized the ethos of 'self-reliance' which the force seeks to enhance and achieve in line with the government's vision of self-reliance in defence.
He said, "Technologies are constantly evolving. They are emerging into new uncharted territories, revolutionizing and establishing a 'new normal' in various sectors, interconnected with each other across various disciplines and businesses. Available from."
The Army Chief said the military-technical scenario today witnesses "manifold increase in lethality and accuracy of kinetic equipment and proliferation of technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, 3 printing and nanotechnology", he reiterated. That emerging technologies are no longer superpower-centric, with even non-state actors gaining access to modern technology, both for the military and employing it for "asymmetric advantage in conflict".He explained how recent conflicts have revealed important insights into how disruptive and dual-use technologies – and their proliferation on an unprecedented scale – are changing the character of modern wars.
A suite of digital technologies – including electronic warfare micro-electronics, drones, precision strike systems, loiter munitions and star link terminals – are “challenging conventional force multipliers”, he said. "Surveillance and precision are scoring over fire and maneuver, and the traditional force ratio that was the measure of military strength and superiority in the past has been blunted today," General. Pandey said.
He stressed that the battlefield impact provided by disruptive technology-driven systems mandates new predictive models to assess the potential superiority of war.The art of warfare has expanded into new areas such as space, cyber, electromagnetic spectrum and information. The scope of gray zone warfare has also "expanded" due to technological advances. As a result of these developments, the Army chief said, the battlefield "has become more complex and deadly and will remain so in the future."
The impact of external dependence on critical components, supply disruptions and the “weaponization of regimes in denial” were also highlighted during the pandemic and by lessons from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said.
“We need to recognize that, even if we import some warfare systems, no country will share the latest, advanced and critical technology.Relying on imports for critical technologies therefore runs the risk of being a technological lag behind in specific sectors. "Therefore, the need to achieve self-reliance in critical technologies and war fighting platforms and systems through indigenous research and development is an "imperative", he said.
Theoretical adaptation, as a result of technology adoption, is an inevitability. We need to align our principles and strategies with the prevailing operating paradigm. To maximize the battlefield capability of modern weapon systems it is important to refine operational philosophies, employment concepts, and tactics to suit the combat effects arising from new technologies.“He said this will continue to be an ongoing process.