Diplomat Correspondent
Udhampur: DD, In secure briefing halls and operational planning centres, the seed of a major military exercise are being sown. As India intensifies its focus on future warfare, a tri-service multi-domain exercise ‘VIDYUT VIDHHWANS’ is set to begin under the aegis of Headquarter Northern Command this week; bringing together troops, systems, strategies and doctrines that span not just in the domain of land, sea and air but space, cyber, electromagnetic and cognitive domain as well.
The lead-up began with ‘SAMVAD’, a thoughtful precursor held in Mathura on October 4. Here officers and subject matter experts exchanged ideas on modern threats and emerging technologies. In his key note address Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, Northern Army Commander, said, “The boundary between kinetic and non-kinetic operations today blurs rapidly. Adversaries will attempt to paralyse a commander’s decision cycle without firing a shot, by disabling communication, disrupting satellites or creating mass confusion through disinformation. In this reality, Multi-Domain Operations is not restricted to battlefield tactics but encompasses a paradigm shift in operational art”.
This brainstorming session was not about slides or jargon it was about preparing minds to think beyond the precincts of conventional warfare. Talks ranged from satellite vulnerabilities to information warfare but the core message was clear- future wars will be in hitherto fore uncharted territories and will test the minds as much as the machines.
Behind the scene, formations are readying their gear and grid incorporating niche technologies and new generation equipment which is spread over the entire command theatre. CAPFs, sister services and central government agencies are also being integrated along with the private sector players to achieve Jointness, Atmanirbharta and Innovation, backed with a ‘Whole of Nation’ approach.
The upcoming exercise will simulate high-pressure situations, including communication breakdowns, cyber intrusions and disinformation, exercising troops and commanders with challenges of operating in an interconnected and networked environment. At its heart, this exercise is about readiness not just for war, but for unpredictability. And it began not with noise, but with a thoughtful dialogue and well-crafted strategy to shape a future ready force.DD
