New Delhi— On Friday, General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), gave a big speech in which he talked about India’s biggest national security problems and gave unusual details about how a recent military operation was planned. General Chauhan said at an event in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, that India’s top security problem is the ongoing border issue with China. The next biggest problem is Pakistan’s proxy war and its long-term plan to “bleed India by a thousand cuts.”
The highest-ranking military officer talked about six big problems the country is facing. He said that the third thing was regional instability and how it affects India, and the fourth thing was the necessity to be ready for a quickly changing, high-tech battlefield. He further said that fighting two enemies with nuclear weapons is a big problem, thus India needs to be ready for any kind of regular conflict.
The CDS said in his first public comments on the topic that the armed forces had “full operational freedom” to carry out Operation Sindoor. This military action was meant to not only get back at the Pahalgam terror assault, but also to set a “red line” on cross-border terrorism. He also said that the National Security Advisor (NSA) had a big part in organizing and carrying out the operation by giving advice on choosing targets, deploying troops, and setting up a way to calm things down.
India’s Six Biggest Security Problems
General Chauhan’s speech was mostly about a detailed list of the threats India faces:
The Unresolved Border Dispute in China: He said that this is “the biggest challenge” for India.
Pakistan’s Proxy War: The CDS talked about Pakistan’s plan to “bleed India by a thousand cuts,” which means hurting the country slowly and steadily over time.
discontent in the region: He said that political, social, and economic discontent in nearby countries had a direct effect on India’s security.
General Chauhan said that future battles won’t just happen on land, in the air, or on the water. They will also happen in space, cyberspace, and electromagnetic domains, which means India will need to change.
Nuclear-Armed Enemies: He underlined how hard it is to wage a normal war when there are two nuclear-armed countries involved, which requires a very careful approach.
Technology: The CDS said that the effect of technology on future wars is a big problem that the military needs to keep up with and make changes to all the time.
Information about Operation Sindoor
General Chauhan said that Operation Sindoor, which took place from May 7 to 10, was a multi-domain operation that showed how well the three military forces worked together. He added that the military had “full operational freedom,” which meant they could plan and choose their targets.
He went into more detail about the NSA’s role, saying, “The NSA gave advice that included help with choosing targets, deploying troops in terms of size and timing—how to do it without making things worse, a plan for de-escalation, and the use of diplomacy.”
The CDS ended by stressing the need for the three services to work together. He talked about how the Army, Navy, and Air Force were working together to improve communication systems, air defense, and anti-drone measures. He said that the operation was a very important example of working together and moving people around strategically.