Need for future leaders to enhance decision-making in battlespace: CDS

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday said there is a need for future strategic leaders to enhance quick decision-making in technology-driven battlespace where timelines are shrinking rapidly.

In his address at the closing of the pioneering tri-Services Future Warfare Course, General Chauhan underscored that artificial intelligence, machine learning, advancements in stealth technology and hypersonics and also robotics will dictate the character of future wars.

The course aims to create a cadre of tech-enabled military commanders equipped with handling the complexities of the modern battlespace.

Apart from being personally driven by the Chief of the Defence Staff, the course was rank-agnostic, with participants having service ranging from 13 to 30 years, the defence ministry said in a statement.

"A dynamic security environment coupled with the proliferation of niche technologies, changing character of warfare and lessons learnt from recent and ongoing conflicts necessitates the preparation of future leaders who should be able to appreciate the nuances of modern warfare," it said.

Accordingly, the course focused on key areas related to future warfare, future trends, air and space warfare, non-kinetic warfare, maritime operations and multi-domain operations.

General Chauhan in his address highlighted the "need for future strategic leaders to enhance quick decision-making in technology-driven battlespace, where timelines are shrinking rapidly".

The key outcomes include integrated operational concepts, enhanced joint force capabilities, advanced technologies for future battlefields and strengthened tri-service cooperation, the ministry said.

This would enable the course participants to lead and shape the future of warfare, ensuring a unified and effective response to emerging challenges, the statement said.

General Chauhan and the vice chiefs of the three Services were briefed on the outcomes of the week-long course and deliberations were carried out on the contours of the subsequent courses.