RECENT POSTS
China’s Strategic Support Force and its Implications for India – Part II
The Strategic Support Forces (SSF) serves to integrate the PLA’s strategic space, cyber, electronic and psychological warfare capabilities under a single organisation. In doing so it also effectively operationalises its two well-known hybrid warfare concepts, namely, Integrated Network Electronic Warfare (INEW) and Three Warfares (comprising of psychological, media and legal warfare). This work studies the concept underlying the reorganisation of the PLA’s space and IW capabilities under the SSF and its implications for India. In the first part of this three part series, an insight was given into the concept and broad organizational structure of the SSF, as also how its space assets have been reorganized. In this part, a look is taken at how the IW capabilities have been restructured under the SSF. It also briefly reviews the closely related intelligence and information processing functions, and how the raising of the SSF has affected them.
China’s Strategic Support Force and its Implications for India – Part I
The Strategic Support Force (SSF) was created as part of the reforms which were initiated by the PLA in 2015. The integration of strategic space, cyber, electronic and psychological warfare capabilities under the single umbrella of the SSF gives an insight into how the PLA plans to fight informationized wars of the 21st Century. The creation of the SSF is expected to considerably enhance the combat potential of the PLA as a result of increased synergy amongst its space and Information Warfare (IW) capabilities. This work analyses the concept, organisation and operational capabilities of the SSF. It goes on to compare the IW structures of China, United States and India, leading to some noteworthy conclusions and recommendations. In this first part of a three part series, an insight is given into the concept and broad organizational structure of the SSF, as also how its space assets have been re-organized.
Cyberspace Governance in India: Transform or Perish – Part III
This three part series on cyberspace governance in India seeks to analyse whether our existing organisational structures are adequately optimised to address the new challenges emerging in cyberspace, which is fast proving to be a daunting new domain of conflict amongst nations. The first two parts analysed cyber threats and cyber defence strategies, reviewed our existing cyberspace governance architecture and studied global practices adopted by the more agile nations for protecting their respective national cyberspaces. This concluding part proposes several transformative changes to our cyberspace organisational structures as well as to our HRD policies. It is felt that these changes must be implemented on priority if we are to shield ourselves from strategic threats which are imminent in cyberspace in this era of modern warfare.
Cyberspace Governance in India: Transform or Perish – Part II
With cyberspace having emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations, the more agile nations have brought about transformative changes in their cyber defence organisations. This three-part series analyses the important issue of cyber governance in India. The first part identified different types of cyber threats from the perspective of organising for cyberspace defence and discussed several cyber defence strategies which are relevant in the Indian context. This part first takes a look at our existing cyberspace governance architecture and analyses its shortcomings. It then reviews global practices for protecting national cyberspaces with a view to proposing suitable modifications for best addressing the national security challenges which we are being confronted with as a consequence of ever increasing conflicts in cyberspace.
Cyberspace Governance in India: Transform or Perish – Part I
Over the last decade or so, cyberspace has emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations. In order to address this challenge, the more agile nations have brought about transformative changes in their cyber defence organisations. In India, the two main agencies tasked with the defence of our National Cyberspace are the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), and the Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-In). It needs to be analysed whether or not such an arrangement is the right apex structure for the defence of our cyberspace. This three-part series analyses the important issue of cyber governance in India. In this first part, a notional model of our National Cyberspace is first presented. It then identifies the different types of cyber threats from the perspective of organising for cyberspace defence and discusses several cyber defence strategies which are relevant in our context.
Disruptive Military Technologies: An Overview – Part III
Over the last several decades, technology breakthroughs have been occurring at a very fast pace, with transformative effects on the nature of warfighting. The first two parts of this three-part series have reviewed the status of global research on technologies which are likely to have maximum impact on warfare over the coming decades. It has also emerged that, while India has taken some steps towards leveraging these technologies for enhancing our comprehensive military power, these are not commensurate with our geopolitical aspirations. Existing studies on rejuvenating our weak military industrial complex have mainly focused on measures which need to be taken by the Government, the DRDO, the Industry and the Academia. In this concluding part, we explore an introspective approach for the Armed Forces, based on the conviction that the primary hurdles to realising a vibrant defence R&D model exist within the Armed Forces, and can be largely overcome through internal re-structuring.
Disruptive Military Technologies: An Overview – Part II
This three-part series on disruptive military technologies attempts to examine whether India is sufficiently geared up to leverage these technologies in pursuance of our national security goals. In the previous part, a classification of disruptive military technologies based on their expected impact on future warfare was presented, and four key technologies were shortlisted for further analysis. Thereafter, a brief look was taken on the global R&D status of AI & robotics and quantum technologies. This part gives out the status of global research for nano and hypersonic weapons technologies, and the efforts being made by India towards their development.
Disruptive Military Technologies: An Overview – Part I
Cutting edge technologies whose manifestation on the battlefield is expected to have a significant impact on the nature of warfare, are often referred to as disruptive military technologies. At this point in time, potentially disruptive technologies include ICT, IW, AI & robotics, quantum, nano and hypersonic weapons, amongst several others. The impact of some of these technologies on the 21st Century battlespace is expected to be very profound, and may even revolutionise warfare. This three-part series attempts to examine whether India is sufficiently geared up to leverage these technologies for building up our comprehensive military power in tune with our geopolitical aspirations. In Part I, a classification of disruptive military technologies based on their expected degree of impact on warfare is first presented. Thereafter, a brief look is taken on the global R&D status of AI & robotics and quantum technologies, as also the initiatives being taken by India in these areas.
IW Structures for the Indian Armed Forces – Part IV
The first three parts of this four part series discussed the conceptual foundations of IW as also organizational structures which have been adopted by other armies. In this culminating part, an overview is first given of the IW organisations which presently exist at our national level as well as within the Indian Armed Forces. Thereafter, drawing upon concepts discussed in the preceding parts, a large number of recommendations are made on how organisational transformation may be carried out by us in order to effectively address the challenges emerging on the information-intensive battlefield of the 21st Century.
IW Structures for the Indian Armed Forces – Part III
Part I of this four part series dwelt upon terminologies, concepts and doctrines, and identified CO, EW and Psy W as the three primary components of IW. Part II analysed the areas of convergence as well as differences amongst these components, as also various facets of how these capabilities may be operationally deployed in an integrated manner. With the conceptual underpinnings of IW having thus been established, here we endeavour to briefly describe IW structures which presently exist in some of the defense forces of the world which are of relevance to us, specifically China, United States, Russia and Pakistan, with a view to drawing lessons and thence analysing our own structures against this backdrop.