WION Defence Pulse: Security experts call for space, cyber and missile focus amid evolving warfare

Defence experts, observers, and industry leaders converged at the WION World Pulse in the national capital New Delhi on Wednesday (Mar 18) to decode India's defence strategies in accordance with the summits theme, "Rhythm of the New World Order." The discussion provided much-needed insights into India's challenges and opportunities as the world remains in flux due to uncertainties caused by war in Europe, West Asia, and political turmoil in New Delhi's neighbourhood.

The session featured former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria; the architect behind India's Akash Surface-to-Air Missile System, Dr Prahlada Ramarao; and the Co-founder and CEO of IdeaForge, Ankit Mehta.

Ahead of the session, India's Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, lauded WION for creating a forum that brings together "leaders and practitioners across domains," stating that "defence and deterrence remain cornerstones that enable sovereign nations to protect people and secure their interests." He emphasised that a credible defence requires a mixture of nuclear, conventional, and missile capabilities, complemented by space and cyber capabilities.

Highlighting that Operation Sindoor demonstrates that credible deterrence rests on three pillars, credibility, capability, and the will to act, General Dwivedi established that hostile actions will invite a measured, firm, and guided response based on national interest. The Army Chief noted, "Our security challenges lie across our contiguous borders."

Warfare moves beyond land, sea, and air

Speaking at the summit, ACM Bhadauria said that with emerging technologies, warfare has shifted beyond land, sea, and air; it now includes cyber, space, and cognitive domains. "Multi-domain operations have become key," he noted.

Dr Prahlada Ramarao stated, "What we see has moved from ground to air. The next wars will be in space."

He suggested that deterrence now comes from preventing an enemy from utilising its satellite capabilities, hinting at emerging technologies focused on denying adversarial space assets using one's own.

On the question of whether India should look toward widening its missile arsenal or focusing on low-cost, attritable assets, Ramarao noted there are two critical aspects:

Weapon Characteristics: Range, speed, accuracy, agility, and lethality.

C4I2SR: Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Information, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance. These systems work to deny data to the adversary or utilise it in one's own favour.

Drawing lessons from India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, Ankit Mehta pointed out that old assumptions about threats no longer hold true.

“Any assumptions that we previously had… were thrown out of the window,” he said. He noted that threats are no longer limited to low-cost commercial drones, with more advanced systems being deployed using varied frequencies. This makes early detection and wideband monitoring capabilities critical for modern defence.

India making significant strides in defence tech

"Foundational work has been done" for upcoming drone, robotics, and modern warfare requirements, the IdeaForge CEO noted, ensuring every subsystem integrated into Indian military platforms is designed and developed domestically.

Mehta highlighted that "war is becoming robotic and software-defined, and tactics are changing very rapidly. Having local capability with private players involved is key to evolving warfare."

He added that this pace is expected to accelerate at an unprecedented rate. According to him, domestic capability allows for faster upgrades and battlefield responsiveness.

Also Read: 'The proof is there to see,' says former IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria on India’s narrative formation in Ops Sindoor at WION World Pulse

Dr Ramarao added that it is vital for India to work on "space capabilities" through assets meant for "denying and delaying" the adversary. He noted that future combat will involve significant air-to-air interaction and that India is actively working on technology to create dedicated space platforms.

Regarding the future of weaponry, Ramarao believes low-cost drones, lasers, and microwave weapons are the need of the hour. India needs effective methods of defending itself where the "cost per engagement" is sustainable.

Controlling the escalation matrix is key

When asked about escalation ladders and the experience of Operation Sindoor, ACM Bhadauria hailed India's control of the escalation matrix, noting that New Delhi successfully forced the adversary to the table to call off hostilities.

Bhadauria described the current situation in West Asia as an "escalation trap" for the United States and Israel. He argued that despite decapitating leadership, goals remain poorly defined, allowing the escalation of control to shift in Tehran’s favour through the use of cheap drones and ammunition.

He asserted that goals must be clearly defined to manage an escalation matrix effectively.

If the US had defined its goals of regime change differently, it would have a chance of walking out; however, with Iran's influence over the Strait of Hormuz, it becomes difficult to call off," he said. "We have to take into account that every war can now be extended with the use of cheap drones, autonomous vehicles, and loitering munitions."