Ukraine Conflict A Testing Ground For Future Warfare, Says Army Chief

New Delhi: Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi described the ongoing war in Ukraine as a “living laboratory” for modern warfare, underscoring its relevance to India’s own border dynamics. Speaking at the Delhi Defence Dialogue 2025, he said the evolving nature of warfare demands constant adaptation as technology, geopolitics, and competition reshape global security.
General Dwivedi noted that the world is witnessing the decline of prolonged peace and the rise of complex, technology-driven conflicts. With over 50 active wars across more than 100 nations, he said the Ukraine battlefield offers critical lessons, particularly in the use of advanced systems such as drones, electronic warfare, and precision weaponry that now reach far beyond traditional combat ranges.
He highlighted that drones track armored movements, electronic warfare disrupts communication networks, and information campaigns can shape outcomes even before fighting begins. According to him, these shifts reflect the “three Ds” transforming warfare democratisation, diffusion, and demography.
Explaining further, he said democratisation refers to the growing accessibility of powerful technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, directed energy weapons, and cyber tools that are now central to conflict zones. Diffusion represents the geographically unbounded nature of modern warfare, while demography points to the rise of new actors such as citizen soldiers, private defense networks, and dual-use commercial suppliers influencing battles.
In the Indian context, General Dwivedi acknowledged that the Army faces a multi-front challenge and must ensure that emerging technologies are effectively integrated across all five generations of warfare. While technology evolves rapidly, he stressed that “land remains the currency of victory” given India’s extensive territorial borders.
He also announced upcoming Army initiatives to enhance technological readiness, including an in-house artificial intelligence chatbot named Jigyasa and several supporting software tools. Additionally, the Army has tested a new AI-based system called “AI in the Box” designed to assist mobile formations during operations.