Indian Army General Manoj Pande Discusses Russia-Ukraine Conflict Lessons

The Chief of Army Staff said that information operations have taken on a new form and are now being carried out on many different levels using many different tools and domains.

General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff, talked about what the Indian defence forces have learned from the Russia-Ukraine crisis. He said that it shows that maritime weapons are more vulnerable than low-cost defence systems, and that they also need skills and strategies to win the war of stories.

General Manoj Pande spoke at the Def Tech India Conference in New Delhi about “India’s Territorial Capabilities and Technology Requirements.” He talked about how Ukrainian anti-ship cruise missiles sank the Russian warship Moskva.

He said that information operations have changed and are now being revealed on many different levels and in many different domains using many different tools.

Gen Manoj Pande #COAS delivered the Keynote Address at the Defence Technology Seminar, being organised at Manekshaw Centre, #NewDelhi. #COAS expressed his views on Emerging Technologies & Roadmap for Technology Infusion in the #IndianArmy. 1/2#IndianArmy#OnPathToTransformation pic.twitter.com/yQqkZV6lpM

— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) March 22, 2023

When he talked about how the Russia-Ukraine war had taught him important lessons, he emphasised the importance of “hard power,” the length of the war, precision fires, information operations, and “grey zone aggression.”

General Manoj Pande said that land is still the most important part of war and that the “idea of victory” is still based on land. Instead of assuming a “short, quick war,” which could be wrong, the army needs to be ready for a full-scale conflict that lasts for a long time.

“Information operations took on a whole new dimension as they were carried out on many different levels, using many different tools, and in many different domains. As technology improves, grey zone aggression is becoming a more popular way to solve conflicts. We need ways to not just stop or lessen these kinds of attacks, but also to keep the enemy in a state of constant reaction, said the Army Chief.

In relation to air power, he said that it is no longer limited to manned aircraft and has grown to include drones, loiter munitions, advanced VSHORADS, and manned-unmanned systems.

“It is very hard to get air superiority or even a good situation in the air,” he said.

General Manoj Pande also talked about how important it is for the defence sector to be self-sufficient and encouraged the use of technology in warfighting systems.

“The ongoing war has taught India some very important lessons. The Army Chief said, “Our current stock has a good mix of different types and ages to meet the needs of different theatres.”

He supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar campaign and said that big steps are being taken to make the Indian military more modern, tech-driven, and battle-ready so that the operational mandate can be carried out more effectively.