Commodore Sujeet Samaddar, NM (Retd)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TRANSPARENT WARFARE: EQUIPPING AND TRAINING TO WIN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n CONCEPT NOTE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The ongoing Russo-Ukraine war has redefined the contours of warfare. One of the major characteristics redefining the doctrines of warfare is the dominance of role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and drones in surveillance, intelligence gathering and target acquisition. . The pervasive surveillance through numerous FPV drones has created an absolutely transparent battlefield for the first time in human history. The ever present challenge in every conflict known as \u2018Fog of War\u2019 appears to be now a thing of the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A key defining characteristic of recent warfare is the dominance of ISR and target acquisition technologies for launching precision attacks on forward positions and neutralising rear echelon formations that were once perceived as \u2018hidden\u2019 and therefore \u2018safe\u2019. \u00a0A combination of military grade ISR systems such as high altitude ISR drones, airborne FOPEN systems and GPRs, low flying First Person View drones, \u00a0and commercial grade social media HUMINT, ELINT, COMINT, OPSINT and earth observation commercial satellites with Optical, SAR and IR payloads sensors provide freely available and accurate geo-tagged \u2018top secret\u2019 imagery of the battlefield at low latency rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These sensors are continuously improving on latency, sensitivity, discrimination, and accuracy resulting in nearly or completely transparent battlefields where both belligerents can observe and monitor almost everything happening therein real time. This pervasive and staring surveillance makes concealing concentrations of troops, armoured vehicles, artillery, MRLS, SEAD systems etc from adversaries almost impossible. Even the lone warrior is now visible, identifiable and traceable in real time. Unlike erstwhile operations, conducted by recce troops, that pushed up \u2018ground truth\u2019 information to battalion, brigade and division level analysis the new flow of tactical intelligence has been inverted whereby the Commander may have much better real time situational awareness than his troops on location. Similarly, adversary information is also visible in much greater detail, not by soldiers at the tactical edge, but at the operational level by the Commander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This highly precise real time locational intelligence, sourced from satellites and drones, enables artillery and air forces to accurately target contact forces and rear echelons formations simultaneously with a variety of precision strike munitions, loitering munitions, swarm drones and other kamikaze options etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The result is that some of the \u201cfog of war\u201d is lifted and has made the principle of surprise perhaps, a thing of the past. It has also revived the Commanders\u2019 dilemma to concentrate or disperse his forces. Concentrations are more easily geo-tagged precisely due to dense footprints and are therefore vulnerable to devastating loss if the mutual support and defence in depth fails against precision strikes. Dispersing shrinks footprint but also creates logistics challenges and requires smaller and compact defensive positions such as camouflaged trenches and shelters which require appropriate mechanised tools and materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, war fighting in a transparent battlefield now behoves a paradigm shift in equipping and training, revisiting concept of operations and the very design of battle as ground troops may not operate under air dominance, forward fortifications may be more easily detected, rear echelon formations may be accurately located enabling precision attack at the very commencement of conflict thereby neutralising the rear echelon support system that contact forces rely on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As commercial technologies becomes increasingly integrated into everyday \u2018warfare\u2019\u00a0 the potential to cripple essential \u2018backbone support\u2019 war materiel grows exponentially. Power grids, transportation networks, and communication systems are all visible and vulnerable targets in future conflicts. Couple the transparent battlefield with deep fakes and cyberwarfare\u00a0 and the consequences are truly daunting. Inaddition, war waging options range from Gray to Hybrid across the full spectrum of conflict and these have varying implications on the design of battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A platform for closer coordination with industry to design and develop suitable survivable and sustainable platforms, equipment and sensors that would better prepare the forces to fight and win wars in the transparent battlefield is needed. Such a platform would also explore training systems and kits that would reskill forces – at contact and in the rear – to seamlessly dominate the adversary in this new paradigm of transparent warfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Officers of the armed forces and para-military forces, members of the military, space and defence industry, academia and think tanks will congregate together on one platform to ideate, discuss and develop new generation equipment \u2013 sensors, platforms, devices, tools and the training kits to dominate the transparent battlefield by generating clearer transparency of adversary forces and positions whilst maintaining deeper opacity of own locations and forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To address these issues a National Conference on Transparent Warfare: Equipping and Training to Win is scheduled on 18 Dec 2024, at the Manekshaw Center, New Delhi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n General <\/em><\/strong>Anil<\/em><\/strong> Chauhan, PVSM UYSM AVSM SM VSM, Chief of the Defence Staff and Secretary DMA<\/em><\/strong> has kindly consented to be the Chief Guest and deliver the inaugural address. The Deputy Chiefs of the Services will present their perspectives on the \u2018wants\u2019 that they have to wage this transparent war and win. Secretary Dept of Defence Production and Chairman DRDO have been invited to inform the audience of the facilitative framework that the Ministry of Defence has provided to the industry and academia. Two Panel discussions will debate on the Innovation and Technology Development and the Simulations and Training requirements for this new breed of Transparent Warfare.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Commodore Sujeet Samaddar, NM (Retd) TRANSPARENT WARFARE: EQUIPPING AND TRAINING TO WIN CONCEPT NOTE The ongoing Russo-Ukraine war has redefined […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[46],"tags":[793,827,738,588,587,671,643,382,828,656,300],"yoast_head":"\n