‘No runners-up in war, no silver medals or consolation prizes’: CDS highlights importance of tech in modern warfare

NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, speaking at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) on Tuesday on defence and security, said that warfare today is witnessing a major transformation driven by rapid technological advancements, pointing out that “there are no runners-up in war”.

General Chauhan said, “War is all about managing — there are no runners-up in war. There are no silver medals for the valiant efforts or consolation prizes or very brave attempts. The stakes in any kind of conflict are always high, and the very fate of nations, or survival of nations”.

He emphasised that winning wars has always depended on sound strategy. “Warfare and winning in warfare are basically dependent on strategy — that is the art of the journey,” the CDS said.

#WATCH | Chandigarh | CDS Gen Anil Chauhan says, “If you look at the geopolitical events of the 20th century, India’s partition, the coming of Pakistan, our war with China, forced India to have a continental kind of an outlook. But if you have a look at India’s geography, I think… pic.twitter.com/uRNSSx9oin

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2025

“Gradually, the element of technology is taking over and overshadowing geography. Commanders who understood geography were always able to use it for their own benefit. Technology started influencing the outcome of battle significantly after the invention of gunpowder,” the CDS said, with a focus on the evolving role of technology.

Tracing the evolution of warfare, General Chauhan added, “It is geography and technology in equal measure till we talk about the first evolution”. He said the world is now witnessing the “third revolution in military affairs”, which he termed as ‘convergence warfare’. “I’ve been following this particular revolution as convergence warfare. It’s the confluence of kinetic with non-kinetic, contact with non-contact battles”, he said.

Explaining the impact of modern technology on battlefields, the CDS also noted that, “The number of sensors which provide information today of the battlefield to a commander is phenomenal. This is leading to absolute battlefield transparency and a very high degree of situational awareness.”

General Chauhan then spoke on the growing role of artificial intelligence and automation in combat. “Combat is largely between human beings and human beings, but we are at the cusp of history where the future combat could be between machines and machines. Human brainpower is being supplemented by artificial intelligence to take faster decisions than what the enemy can react to,” he said.

On operational challenges, the CDS added, “Urban complexes present the most difficult battlefield geometry. Urban geography doesn’t follow any kind of rules — that makes warfare in urban areas very, very complex. This geometric shift with multiple levels of threats, restricted line of sight, and civilian presence makes combat very, very difficult.”

General Chauhan also spoke on the growing importance of the space domain in future wars. “Space has transformed from a support domain to a decisive battlefield,” he said. (ANI)