'No Runners-Up In War': CDS Anil Chauhan Says Op Sindoor Continues, Requires 24/7 Preparedness

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday said that Operation Sindoor still continues and emphasized the critical importance of maintaining 24x7, 365-day military readiness, stating, “There are no runners-up in war.”

CDS General Anil Chauhan. (File Photo: ANI)

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Friday said that Operation Sindoor still continues and emphasized the critical importance of maintaining 24x7, 365-day military readiness, stating, “there are no runners-up in war.”

CDS Chauhan was speaking at the Capstone Seminar jointly organised by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS).

“There are no runners-up in war...Operation Sindoor, which still continues, our preparedness level has to be very high, it's 24x7, 365 days...It's only scholar warriors that can ensure this readiness by thinking differently, connecting the dots across this country,” he said.

Stressing the evolving dynamics of global conflict, General Anil Chauhan outlined how rapid technological progress and shifting geopolitical currents have ushered in a 'third revolution in warfare.

General Chauhan also stressed the growing convergence of kinetic and non-kinetic methods, underscoring the need for a new breed of military professionals-- hybrid warriors-- capable of operating seamlessly across all domains and levels of warfare.

According to the CDS, this third revolution is defined by the fusion of tactical, operational, and strategic thinking, alongside an integration of land, sea, air, cyber, space, and cognitive warfare.

Future combat, he asserted, will be dominated by individuals proficient not only in traditional combat roles but also in technological, informational, and psychological warfare. "Modern warriors must become masters of multi-domain operations," Chauhan emphasised, "functioning simultaneously as tech warriors, info warriors, and scholar warriors."

Chauhan significantly focused on the increasingly complex role of scholars in contemporary military operations and pointed out that today's landscape demands collaborative efforts among teams of military scholars.

He also pointed to the rising importance of "info warriors"--experts trained to craft and counter narratives, fight misinformation, and influence public perception in what was described as "the invisible battlefield of cognition."

"A scholar warrior is a military professional who combines intellectual depth. It combines skills. This individual possesses both strong academic knowledge and practical military expertise, enabling them to analyse complex situations, standardise effectively and adapt to diverse challenges in a dynamic security environment," Chauhan said.

As warfare becomes more hybrid and multidimensional, Chauhan stressed the need to develop well-rounded, strategically minded, and technologically fluent military professionals than ever.

Concluding his remark, the CDS warns that the nations that fail to adapt to this paradigm shift risk falling behind in both defense and global influence. (With ANI Inputs)