New Delhi [India], November 28 : Noting that possibilities in cyber and space as also electronic warfare, are limitless because borders don't exist in the domain, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, has said that a cyber agency and a defence space agency had been set up in the country and capabilities are being enhanced.
Speaking at ANI's National Security Summit, he said the country is moving with a whole-of-nation approach in such domains.
"The possibilities in the domain of cyber and space, and also electronic warfare, are limitless, actually, because this is the domain where borders don't exist. There are no well-drafted rules of engagement, and it is only your ingenuity which will work. So, certainly, we have realised that. And we had realised, actually, some time back, so about four or five years back, we had set up a cyber agency, a defence space agency," he said, replying to a query on readiness to combat modern warfare dynamics.
"And now the time has come to expand further these capabilities. And another thing is that these things cannot happen in only one department. So, this whole-nation approach has to happen. And the government has also considered. And that also is happening... So we should be able to achieve it in the next five to six years. We should be able to do that," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced "Mission Sudarshan Chakra" during his Indpendence Day speech this year which is aimed at neutralising enemy defence infiltrations and enhancing India's offensive capabilities.
Mission Sudarshan Chakra is a futuristic defence programme and its goals are threefold - to ensure the entire system is researched, developed, and manufactured in India; to anticipate future warfare scenarios through predictive technologies; and to create precise, targeted systems for counter-action. By 2035, the aim is to provide a comprehensive national security shield for both strategic and civilian assets.
Replying to queries, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit also noted that Operation Sindoor was just a precursor to what theatre commands would look like in the future, with a better synergy among the armed forces.
"Sindoor was a precursor of what is likely to come in theatre command. There will be a theatre where all information will be coming, and theatre commanders will be able to make decisions, communication will be fail-safe, quick decisions will be taken, and all these will be planned. Sindoor was just a glimpse; we were working on integration and the jointness initiatives over the last four-five years," he said.
"We want to achieve segregation between force development and force application. Force development will become the responsibility of the service headquarters, and force application will become the responsibility of the theatre command...The entire world has changed, and we are also slowly changing towards that...Individual components, such as the Indian Air Force, will operate in a single domain. The roles and missions the Indian Air Force has been performing, it will continue to do. But they will be much better integrated with land, with the Navy, and maybe cyber. So the effect of each strike or mission will be multi-fold. This is what we want to achieve," he added.