In India’s 2.5-Front Threat, Land Is Currency Of Victory: Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday (9 September) said that territorial dominance remains decisive in the Indian context, citing the country’s two-and-a-half-front threat, a formulation earlier underlined by his predecessor, the late General Bipin Rawat, the Indian Express reported.

Gen Dwivedi said recent global conflicts show that despite advances in technology, land remains the ultimate measure of victory.

Referring to last month’s Alaska summit between former US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine war, he said:

“When you go back to the Alaska conference… they just discussed how much land has to exchange hands… In India, since we have two-and-a-half-front threats, land will remain the currency of victory.”

The Army chief cautioned that wars are unpredictable, pointing out how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was expected to last days but continues years later.

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Dwivedi emphasised the importance of preparing for sustained conflicts by factoring in the technological capabilities of adversaries.

He said there is a need to understand what technology is available on the other side to sustain the war for a longer period.

“We should be able to make sure that we have enough to last for a longer war. In all these wars, we have seen that what is impacting the David and Goliath system is low-cost, high-technology. If you have low-cost, high-technology, you will be able to beat a superior adversary,” he said.

Explaining the Army’s procurement approach, he stated that the force would utilise whatever the industry can initially provide, with purchases increasing as supply capacities expand.

However, he noted that the requirements would continuously evolve.

“If I wanted something to fire at 100 kilometres, tomorrow it has to go to 300 kilometres. Because it is not only me, it is the adversary that is also enhancing its technology,” he said, adding that ‘atmanirbharta’ becomes important here.

Dwivedi also emphasised the importance of indigenous systems, citing the Army’s use of the secure mobile ecosystem Sambhav during Operation Sindoor. He said the platform is being upgraded, underscoring the role of atmanirbharta in sustaining future wars.

SAMBHAV (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version), an indigenously designed and developed by the Army, is an “end-to-end secure mobile ecosystem” to ensure instant and protected communication. The system runs on advanced 5G technology and incorporates full encryption for enhanced security.

As part of the project, specially designed handsets are equipped with apps such as M-Sigma, a secure alternative to popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp, enabling users to exchange messages, documents, images, and videos with complete confidentiality.

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