Highlighting the “unpredictable” nature of wars, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi, on September 9, outlined three major aspects of modern warfare and military preparedness.
Speaking at the 52nd National Management Convention of All India Management Association in Delhi, COAS Gen Dwivedi said, “When Russia went in for war, we always thought that this war would last only for 10 days. The Iran-Iraq war, when we saw it, lasted for approximately 10 years. But when it came to the Operation SINDOOR, we were not sure for how many days it would remain, and most of us were saying, Why is it finished in a four-day test match? War is always unpredictable. We are unsure of the psychological impact a particular issue would have…”
#WATCH | Delhi | Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi says, "When Russia went in for war, we always thought that this war would last only for 10 days. The Iran-Iraq war, when we saw it, lasted for approximately 10 years. But when it came to the Operation SINDOOR, we were… pic.twitter.com/kJHE60KtBv
— ANI (@ANI) September 9, 2025
General Dwivedi highlighted three major aspects of warfare and military preparedness – force visualisation, force protection, and force application.
“As far as we are concerned, we look at three aspects – force visualisation, force protection and force application. We see that the force visualisation, which was done in the Russia-Ukraine war was maybe there was a miscalculation. What is important in this is that we need to understand the technology which is there on the other side to sustain the war for a longer period. What it means is that we should be able to make sure that we have enough to last for a longer war,” he said.
He further emphasised the relevance of the “David and Goliath system” in modern warfare, where a country with low-cost and high-technology capabilities can overcome a ‘superior adversary.’
“In all these wars, we have seen that what is impacting the David and Goliath system. That means low-cost high technology. If you have low-cost high technology, you will be able to beat back a superior adversary, also. In all this, so the application when it comes to, I have explained to you that we need this kind of application. Protection is a new thing because you should be able to take an onslaught of the enemy barrage, and thereafter you should be able to come out and carry out the actions which are required to be done. So these three what I look at is the main thing where we need to work out. Now, all this is only feasible because you will find all these three can only be connected by communication and cyber,” Gen Dwivedi added.
He noted the rapid pace of technological advancement in warfare. “…The goalposts will keep changing. If I wanted something to fire at 100 kilometres, tomorrow it has to go to 300 kilometres. Because it is not only me, it is the adversary is also enhancing its technology. As his technology is enhancing, I need to make sure that my technological level is ready to beat its technological impact. Here, Atmanirbharta becomes important…” he said.
(With inputs from ANI)
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