Ukraine war a ‘living lab’, India adapting lessons for future conflicts: Army chief

The Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday (November 12, 2025) said the Indian Army is closely observing the ongoing war in Ukraine, calling it a “living lab” that offers crucial insights into modern warfare — lessons that resonate with the operational conditions along India’s borders.

“We are closely watching the Ukraine battlefields because it’s the living lab in terms of the conditions we are having along our borders. Drones are stalking armoured columns, electronic warfare is jamming radios, precision fires are reaching much beyond 100 km, and information campaigns win wars even before a single shell lands,” General Dwivedi said, speaking at the Delhi Defence Dialogue.

He outlined three key “Ds” that are shaping the future of warfare — democratisation (the influx of new technology), diffusion (geographically independent yet interlinked systems), and demography.

“By virtue of our land borders, land will remain the currency of victory. Even during the meeting between President Trump and President Putin in Alaska, the central discussion was about land,” the Army chief said, emphasising India’s unique strategic environment.

Highlighting the Army’s technological advances, General Dwivedi said the indigenous Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version (SAMBHAV), used successfully during Operation Sindoor, was now entering its second, more advanced phase.

‘AI in the box’, a system integrating Artificial Intelligence with operational command tools, had been tested with great success, he said, adding that open source and predictive analysis had already supported real-time operations.

He further explained how the Army is moving towards Industry 5.0 — a shift from automation-driven systems to human-centric technology. “While Industry 4.0 focused on AI and quantum advances, Industry 5.0 brings balance by ensuring technology supports rather than replaces humans. For the Army, where human resource is its core strength, this evolution means leveraging AI to amplify human creativity, empathy, and decision-making,” Gen. Dwivedi said.