CDS Calls for Shift to ARADO as Warfare Enters Cognitive Era

ARADO envisions seamless integration across land, sea, air, cyber, space and information domains — ensuring coordinated operations across all theatres and levels of conflict.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has urged the Indian Armed Forces to transition from net-centric operations to “Intelligent Warfare” and move beyond Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) towards All Realm All Domain Operations (ARADO), as modern conflict increasingly spans physical, synthetic and cognitive realms.

Addressing the annual seminar at the College of Defence Management (CDM), Secunderabad, on February 24, 2026, the CDS said the character of warfare is undergoing a profound transformation that demands doctrinal, technological and structural adaptation.

From Net-Centric to Intelligent Warfare

Inaugurating the two-day seminar themed “Multi-Domain Integrated Technologically-Empowered Resilient Armed Forces (MITRA),” General Chauhan highlighted the growing complexity of contemporary battlefields.

“As warfare expands from the physical to the synthetic and cognitive realms, the Indian Armed Forces need to transition from net-centric operations toward Intelligent Warfare and move beyond Multi-Domain Operations to All Realm All Domain Operations,” he said.

ARADO envisions seamless integration across land, sea, air, cyber, space and information domains — ensuring coordinated operations across all theatres and levels of conflict.

The Third Revolution in Military Affairs

The CDS described the current phase as the “Third Revolution in Military Affairs,” driven by what he termed Convergence Warfare.

This new paradigm integrates:

• Contact and non-contact warfare

• Kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities

• Legacy and emerging technologies

• Physical, digital and cognitive domains

He stressed that future conflicts will require the ability to operate simultaneously across these interconnected realms.

Strengthening Non-Nuclear Strategic Deterrence

General Chauhan also emphasised the need to establish credible non-nuclear strategic deterrence to ensure escalation dominance at every level of conflict.

He noted that the ability to prevail across multiple escalation thresholds — without necessarily crossing into nuclear engagement — is essential in an increasingly contested global security environment.

MITRA: Framework for Future-Ready Forces

The seminar, hosted on February 24–25, 2026, with the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, as Knowledge Partner, focused on shaping a future-ready military under the MITRA framework.

MITRA envisions armed forces that are:

• Multi-domain in vision

• Integrated in action

• Technology-empowered in execution

• Resilient in purpose

The objective is to align lessons from contemporary conflicts with India’s unique operational requirements, while strengthening self-reliance and structural reform in defence management.

Building Comprehensive National Power

The event brought together senior defence officials, scholars, industry leaders and practitioners to foster strategic foresight and intellectual exchange.

Discussions centred on enhancing comprehensive national power by integrating technological innovation, organisational reform and doctrinal evolution to prepare for future contestations.

CDM’s Strategic Role

Established in December 1970, the College of Defence Management remains India’s premier tri-service institution dedicated to advancing military management education.

Through its annual seminars, CDM has consistently addressed critical themes including strategic autonomy, geopolitical shifts, leadership transformation and defence self-reliance — reinforcing its role in shaping India’s military thought and institutional resilience.

With the call for Intelligent Warfare and ARADO, the 2026 seminar signals a significant doctrinal shift, positioning integration, technology and resilience at the heart of India’s future military strategy.