Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, addressed long-standing queries on Operation Sindoor on Tuesday at the 52nd National Management Convention organized by AIMA, stressing the significance of land forces and technological adaptation in contemporary warfare.
“If you have low-cost, high-technology capabilities, you may be able to defeat a superior adversary,” Gen Dwivedi said, highlighting the relevance of the “David and Goliath system” in modern military strategy.
Referring to last month’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on the Ukraine conflict, he said, “When you go back to the Alaska conference, they discussed how much land has to exchange hands. In India, with two-and-a-half-front threats, land will remain the currency of victory.”
The army chief’s comments come two weeks after Air Chief Marshal A P Singh remarked that Operation Sindoor had reaffirmed the “primacy” of air power.
Gen Dwivedi also reflected on the unpredictable nature of war, citing both the Russia-Ukraine conflict and historical examples like the Iran-Iraq war. “When Russia went in for war, we thought it would be over in 10 days. Operation Sindoor left us unsure of its duration. War is always unpredictable, and its psychological effect is immeasurable,” he said.
Highlighting three key aspects of military preparedness, force visualisation, force protection, and force application, he noted that technology plays a decisive role in sustaining operations during prolonged conflicts. “Protection means withstanding enemy onslaughts and acting decisively. These factors are interconnected through communication and cyber capabilities,” he explained.
On the rapid pace of technological advancement, Gen Dwivedi said, “The goalposts keep changing. If today a weapon fires at 100 km, tomorrow it must reach 300 km. We must ensure our technological level surpasses the adversary’s. Here, Atmanirbharta becomes crucial.”
