CDS Anil Chauhan Warns Against Outdated Weapons, Urges Indigenous Tech Push

Stressing the need for urgent modernisation of Indian defence, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan stated that outdated weapon systems are no match for the demands of contemporary warfare, Hindustan Times reported.

“We can’t win today’s warfare with yesterday’s weapon systems,” Chauhan said at a workshop on UAV and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) indigenisation in New Delhi, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.

“Today’s warfare has to be fought with tomorrow’s technology,” he added, urging faster development of indigenous capabilities and a reduced reliance on imported defence technologies.

“Dependence on imported technologies weakens our preparedness,” he warned.

Citing Operation Sindoor, India’s response to cross-border terror, in May, CDS General Chauhan said that Pakistan had deployed both unarmed drones and loitering munitions during the episode.

He noted that the majority of these UAVs were successfully neutralised using a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic methods.

According to him, none of the drones managed to inflict any damage on Indian military or civilian infrastructure.

Highlighting the rising prominence of drones in modern conflicts, Chauhan stressed that their disruptive potential is no longer theoretical.

General Chauhan pointed out that drones have become a decisive factor in modern warfare.

He said recent conflicts have demonstrated how these systems can disproportionately alter the tactical balance.

Their deployment, he emphasised, is no longer a future possibility but a current and pressing reality.

He called for a sharper focus on developing both kinetic and non-kinetic counter-drone capabilities and reiterated the importance of indigenising critical technologies to ensure India’s strategic autonomy in future conflicts.

The Workshop and Exhibition on indigenising critical components for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS), held on Wednesday (16 July), at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi.

The event, hosted by the Ministry of Defence and organised by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) in collaboration with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS).

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