New Delhi: Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi has underlined the urgent need for India to maintain a technological edge over adversaries in modern warfare. He delivered these remarks on September 9, 2025, at the 52nd National Management Convention hosted by the All-India Management Association (AIMA).
Staying Ahead in Modern Warfare
General Dwivedi warned that adversaries are continuously upgrading their systems, pushing India to accelerate its own advancements. He said, if today’s capability allows targeting at 100 km, tomorrow adversaries will extend theirs to 300 km, stressing the importance of Atmanirbharta to ensure long-term self-reliance.
Lessons From Recent Operations
Drawing on operational experience, he highlighted the Army’s growing reliance on long-range rockets, UAVs, UCAVs, and loitering munitions. He noted adversary reliance on UCAVs sourced from Turkey and China via Pakistan, while citing India’s successful indigenous countermeasures.
Operation Sindoor, according to him, represented a whole-of-nation approach, with soldiers, commanders, scientists, and policymakers working in unison to secure pre-emptive outcomes.
SAMBHAV: A Secure Digital Backbone
One of the key innovations during Operation Sindoor was SAMBHAV (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version). This indigenously developed mobile ecosystem, built on 5G and multi-tier encryption, replaced commercial applications such as WhatsApp. It provided real-time operational and intelligence data across a unified platform, enabling secure joint command and control. The system is now being upgraded to more advanced iterations.
Extending Ranges and Future Technologies
General Dwivedi also discussed future requirements for swarm drones and long-range loitering munitions. Current systems operate within 100–150 km, but ongoing efforts aim to extend their range to 750 km. He emphasized that India’s missile arsenal is being continuously upgraded to counter evolving regional threats.
Primacy of Land Control
Despite the growing reliance on advanced technologies such as AI, drone swarms, and secure digitised communications, General Dwivedi reaffirmed the Army’s doctrine that land control remains the ultimate measure of battlefield victory. He concluded that India must secure technological superiority while ensuring ground dominance to meet its “two-and-a-half-front” security challenges.
