Must be ready for gray zone and hybrid warfare: Rajnath Singh | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said India must be prepared for adaptive defense and its armed forces must be ready for ‘grey zone’ and ‘hybrid’ warfare, where traditional modes of defense have been tested.
Speaking at the inaugural Delhi Defense Dialogue on the theme ‘Adaptive Defense: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Modern Warfare‘, organized by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, Singh highlighted the continued adaptation of the armed forces to meet emerging challenges. The terms ‘gray zone’ and ‘hybrid warfare’ refer to conflicts between peace and large-scale military battles.
From traditional border-related threats, the challenges have shifted to unconventional warfare such as terrorism, cyber attacks and hybrid warfare. “The government recognized the need for an adaptive defense strategy in a changing geopolitical and technological scenario, and has taken several initiatives to build a robust and self-sustaining ecosystem,” he said.
This includes setting up the setting of Chief of Defense Staffpromoting jointness among the three services, improvising the training curriculum and forging new defense partnerships across the world, he added.
Singh described ‘adaptive defence’ not only as a strategic choice but also as a necessity. “As the threats to our nation have evolved, so too must our defense systems and strategies evolve. We must be prepared for all future contingencies. It’s more than just protecting our borders; it is about securing our future,” he said.
He stressed the need for the country’s military and defense mechanisms to continuously evolve to effectively counter emerging threats. “Adaptive defense is not just reacting to what has happened, but also anticipating what might happen and proactively preparing for it. In essence, it is about cultivating a mindset and ability to adapt, innovate and thrive even in the face of unpredictable and evolving circumstances,” he said.
Singh said that in the current era of digitalization and information overload, the world is facing an unprecedented scale of psychological warfare. There is a need to deploy adaptive defense strategies to counter the threat of information war, he said.
“India aims to become a drone hub of the world as drone and swarm technologies bring fundamental changes to modern warfare. We are working towards improving R&D through reliable certification mechanisms, and facilitating the creation of Indian intellectual property in this sector,” he said.