New Delhi, July 13:Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Saturday said they had come a long way since Kargil and warned that future wars could be different, asymmetric in nature, and domimated by use of cyber and space assets.
Speaking at a seminar, ‘20 Years after Kargil Conflict’, organized by Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) here, Gen Rawat spoke about two issues–changing character of warfare and transformation of forces.
“In these 20 years, character of warfare and its conduct has changed. Use of irregulars will go up. Cyber and space have changed the dynamics. The Army has to be ready,” General Rawat said.
Future conflict would be seamlessly connected, unconventional and asymmetric in nature, he added.
“Be aware of space in future war fighting. Cyber and space are likely to be fiercely contested,” Gen Rawat said.
Information domain would be used to change the narrative and be prepared for multi-spectrum challenges, he said, adding that there is need to build capabilities to tackle asymmetric warfare.
The Army chief said no act of terror would go unpunished. “The steps after Uri (surgical strikes conducted after it) and air strikes at Balakot showed our resolve,” the General said.
Gen Rawat said, “We have come a long way since Kargil (May-July 1999). Perceived threats are being studied. Future wars would need infrastructure and robust logistics.”
Gen VP Malik (retd), who was the Army chief during the Kargil war, suggested that India need not go back to the defensive strategy that had changed following the Uri attack. “We may need to do a Balakot time and again to send the message of deterrence. A defensive strategy changed the mindset of commanders on the ground. Be prepared to launch an offensive across the LoC at short notice,” he said.
Later, the book, ‘Surprise, Strategy and Vijay: 20 Years after Kargil and Beyond’, was released.
