New Delhi, July 17: India cannot afford to fight modern wars with outdated weaponry, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said on Wednesday, urging a swift transition to indigenous and future-ready military technology.
“Modern warfare has changed,” General Chauhan said, speaking at a Ministry of Defence workshop on indigenising critical components, organised in partnership with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies. “Weapons and combat platforms today are faster, smaller, more efficient and cost-effective. Traditional bulky rifles are being replaced by lightweight arms with greater range. This transformation is not limited to firearms—tanks and aircraft too have evolved to become more agile and better protected.”
Emphasising the need for homegrown systems, Chauhan issued a caution to Indian drone manufacturers against depending on imported parts, particularly foreign software and hardware. “We cannot rely on technologies that are not under our control, especially in missions that involve critical national security. We must invest, build and protect ourselves,” he said.
He warned that dependence on foreign systems diminishes India’s operational flexibility. “Everyone knows what imported weapons and sensors can do. This allows adversaries to anticipate our tactics and doctrines,” Chauhan explained. “Moreover, such reliance often hampers production scaling and leads to a shortfall in essential spares.”
In a key disclosure, the CDS also detailed the country’s defensive success during Operation Sindoor, an attempted drone strike by Pakistan on May 10. “They used drones and loitering munitions, but were unable to inflict damage on our military or civilian infrastructure. Most were neutralised through kinetic and non-kinetic means—some were even recovered almost intact,” he said.
Defence sources revealed that General Chauhan has been actively pushing for a technological shift in drone operations, advocating for secure communication using software-defined radios, GPS-independent navigation, and counter-jamming capabilities.
“Drones are not just tactical tools—they can alter the strategic balance in disproportionate ways,” Chauhan noted. “Asymmetric drone warfare is exposing the vulnerability of large platforms and is compelling militaries across the world to revise airpower doctrines.”
To reinforce this shift, the armed forces have implemented strict measures to screen out software or hardware of Chinese origin from drone systems supplied to Indian forces.
The workshop brought together military leaders, defence scientists, policymakers, and private industry representatives to chart out a “strategic roadmap” for indigenisation.
General Chauhan’s message was clear: for India to remain militarily prepared, the future must be built with its own hands.
