India Cannot Be A Pacifist, Peace Must Be Backed By Power: CDS Anil Chauhan At Tri-Services Seminar

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has described the upcoming ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ air defence system as an ambitious project aimed at creating a formidable, all-encompassing shield to safeguard India’s strategic and civilian assets, PTI reported.

Speaking at the Ran Samwad conference at the Army War College, Mhow, on Tuesday (26 August), Gen Chauhan emphasised that the initiative would require a “whole of the nation” approach to achieve its objectives.

The CDS explained that the system will be comparable to Israel’s Iron Dome, combining missiles, surveillance systems and a spectrum of tri-services capabilities.

“A colossal amount of integration will be required and multiple fields will need to be networked to provide a very true picture,” he said, underlining the scale of effort needed from the Army, Navy and Air Force.

The ‘Sudarshan Chakra’, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address, is expected to be operational by 2035.

Gen Chauhan noted that multi-domain intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) would be central, integrating sensors across land, air, sea, undersea and space.

He further highlighted the role of cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence, advanced computation, deep data analytics and quantum systems in building the shield.

The announcement comes against a backdrop of rising regional tensions, with reports that Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir had hinted at striking Indian infrastructure in the event of conflict.

The two-day Ran Samwad conclave, curated by the Integrated Defence Staff and the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, seeks to advance tri-services cooperation.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will deliver the plenary address, while joint doctrines and future capability roadmaps are also set to be unveiled.

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