Redefinition of Global Military Doctrine

The May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, use of AI-enabled drones, and evolving patterns of multi-domain warfare have highlighted a decisive global shift in the nature, strategy, and technology of modern conflict, necessitating an urgent reappraisal of India’s defence preparedness and doctrine.

Historical Illusions and Geopolitical Shifts

• End of Traditional Order: The foundational norms of international politics rooted in the Peace of Westphalia (1648) and Congress of Vienna (1815) are rapidly eroding, with power increasingly dictated by technological dominance and not legal-structural norms.
• Myth of Post-War Peace: While 2025 marks 80 years since the end of World War II, peace has been largely superficial — proxy wars, regional conflicts (e.g., Korea, Vietnam), and selective interventions continued to undermine the so-called "rules-based order."
• Desert Storm and Tactical Transformation: Operation Desert Storm (1991) was a watershed moment in military evolution, introducing three-dimensional precision warfare that has since transformed strategic doctrines globally, though its full implications were only gradually acknowledged.

Changing Character of Conflict in the 21st Century

• Post-Cold War and 9/11 Repercussions: Contrary to Fukuyama’s “end of history” thesis, the post-1989 world witnessed a rise in asymmetrical warfare, with 9/11 serving more as a pretext for interventionism rather than a marker of doctrinal change in warfare.
• Ukraine and West Asia as Doctrinal Turning Points: The ongoing Ukraine war and West Asian conflicts demonstrate that wars today are no longer about ground dominance alone; they involve coordinated cyber-attacks, satellite-based surveillance, drone strikes, and information warfare.
• India-Pakistan Conflict 2025: A Preview of Future Wars: The May 2025 confrontation showcased a paradigm shift with loitering munitions, AI-backed drones, advanced GPS-guided bombs, and hypersonic weapons playing a central role — a marked deviation from conventional warfare.

India’s Strategic Dilemma and Defence Preparedness

• Obsolescence of Traditional Procurement Models: India’s reliance on legacy platforms like Rafale jets and outdated tender frameworks risks strategic irrelevance in a world moving toward unmanned, AI-based combat platforms and hypersonic delivery systems.
• Gaps in Indigenous Capability and Technological Lag: China's rapid progress — including J-10, J-20, and near-development of sixth-generation fighter jets — contrasts with India’s delays in aircraft and missile development, leaving critical gaps in autonomous warfare readiness.
• Need for Multi-Domain Force Modernisation: The shift towards network-centric warfare mandates overhaul of India's doctrinal approach, with a focus on integrated AI, cyber-defence, long-endurance UAVs, and digital battlefield awareness systems to secure national interests in a potential two-front scenario.

Practice Question:

The Russia-Ukraine war and Indo-Pakistan conflict reveal a fundamental transformation in the conduct of warfare. Examine how emerging technologies are redefining modern military doctrines, and suggest how India must recalibrate its defence strategy in response. (250 words)