TRANSFORMATION
Cyber Influence Operations: A Battle of Wits and Bits – A Call to Action for the Indian Armed Forces (Part II)
In recent years, employment of Cyber Influence Operations (CIO) by state and non-state actors has resulted in dramatic strategic effects, and leading world powers have demonstrated noteworthy agility in coming to grips with this new form of warfare in the Information Age. This is the culminating (three-part) article of a series on CIO which has endeavoured to study various facets of CIO with the end objective of analysing its implications for India’s national security. The article outlines the way forward for the Indian Armed Forces for developing doctrine, organisation, and most importantly, human resource for developing IO/ CIO capabilities. The first part reviewed the current status of doctrines and proposed doctrines which need to be enunciated, giving out the conceptual underpinnings which must guide them. This second part proposes organisational structures necessary for the Indian Armed Forces to effectively carry out IO/ CIO.
Cyber Influence Operations: A Battle of Wits and Bits – A Call to Action for the Indian Armed Forces (Part I)
Cyber Influence Operations (CIO) as a concept is still evolving. Over the last decade or so, employment of CIO by state and non-state actors has had dramatic successes in creating strategic effects. As a result, global players have taken noteworthy initiatives to come to grips with this new form of warfare in the Information Age. CIO are essentially a manifestation of IO in Cyberspace. This series has endeavoured to study various facets of CIO, with the end objective of analysing its implications for India’s national security. The previous three articles threw light on the concepts, techniques and stratagems associated with CIO, and the doctrine, operational employment and capabilities of major powers, including Russia, the US and China. This culminating article in the series (in three parts) reviews existing capability with the Indian Armed Forces for conducting IO/ CIO, and then outlines the way forward for developing doctrine, organisation, and most importantly, human resource for fighting grey zone battles in the cognitive domain.
Ideation for Defence R&D in India: Transformative Approach with Armed Forces as Pivot – Part III
India’s poor self-reliance in the defence sector has long been a matter of concern, deserving serious introspection. This series of four articles has been written with the aim of suggesting structural reforms to India’s defence R&D ecosystem. The first three articles reviewed the military modernisation strategies of the US, China, Russia, Israel and France. In this concluding article (in three parts), an approach is presented which advocates that the Armed Forces, suitably empowered, must act as a pivot for driving India’s defence innovation process. The first two parts of this piece covered previous studies on this subject, certain facets of our national innovation strategy, the need for strategic guidance and existing structural shortcomings. In this final part, several major structural changes to the existing R&D enterprise have been proposed. In addition, specific recommendations have been made on how the Armed Forces need to transform themselves for achieving proficiency in managing high technology projects.
Ideation for Defence R&D in India: Transformative Approach with Armed Forces as Pivot – Part II
India’s poor self-reliance in the defence sector has long been a matter of concern, deserving serious introspection. This is the concluding article in a series written with the aim of suggesting structural reforms to India’s defence R&D ecosystem. Having reviewed the military modernisation strategies of the US, China, Russia, Israel and France in the previous three articles, this concluding article (in three parts) proposes an approach which is fundamentally different from existing practices, advocating that the Armed Forces must act as a pivot for driving the defence innovation process, and be suitably empowered accordingly; and in order to perform this role effectively, they must make transformative changes internally for efficiently managing high technology projects. Part I of this piece covered previous studies, certain core issues and our national innovation strategy. This part discusses the importance of technology, need for strategic guidance and existing structural shortcomings.
Ideation for Defence R&D in India: Transformative Approach with Armed Forces as Pivot – Part I
India was the second largest importer of arms in the world during the period 2014-19, and had a miniscule share of exports during the same period. India’s poor self-reliance in the defence sector has long been a matter of concern, deserving serious introspection. This is the concluding article in a series written with the aim of suggesting structural reforms to India’s defence R&D ecosystem. In the previous three articles of this series, the military modernisation strategies of the US, China, Russia, Israel and France were reviewed, and several features were identified which could perhaps be usefully adopted in the Indian context. In this piece (covered in three parts), an approach is presented which is fundamentally different from existing practices, built upon the following principles: firstly, the Armed Forces must act as a pivot for driving the defence innovation process, and be suitably empowered accordingly; and secondly, in order to perform this role effectively, they must make transformative changes internally for efficiently managing high technology projects.