Gen Upendra Dwivedi Calls Ukraine War a ‘Living Lab’ as India Studies Modern Battle Tactics

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi declared the Ukraine conflict a “living lab” for modern warfare, stating India is closely monitoring its tactics due to striking parallels with conditions along the nation’s borders. Speaking at the Delhi Defence Dialogue 2025, he highlighted drones neutralizing armor, electronic warfare disrupting communications, precision strikes exceeding 100 km, and information campaigns winning battles before physical engagement. These dynamics, he said, mirror the multi-domain threats India faces.

Gen Dwivedi warned that long-term peace is eroding, giving way to comprehensive, technology-driven conflicts involving over 100 nations and 50 active wars. He outlined three transformative forces—the “three Ds”—reshaping battlefields: democratisation of advanced tools like AI, quantum systems, robotics, and directed energy weapons; diffuse operations that transcend geography yet remain interconnected; and demography, where citizen soldiers, private forces, and dual-use merchants influence outcomes.

In the Indian context, the Army Chief emphasized readiness for a “two-and-a-half front” challenge, integrating cutting-edge technology across five generations of warfare—from trench combat to grey-zone operations. Despite technological leaps, he asserted that land remains the ultimate currency of victory, citing even the Trump-Putin Alaska discussions focused on territorial control. Geography, he stressed, continues to dictate strategic priorities.

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The Indian Army is accelerating AI integration with the upcoming launch of ‘Jigyasa’, an in-house chatbot, alongside 15 supporting software tools. Gen Dwivedi also revealed successful trials of ‘AI in the box’, a portable system designed for mobile formations, giving commanders real-time decision advantage in fluid, high-threat environments without reliance on distant networks.

As global conflicts evolve into hybrid, multi-spectrum battles, Gen Dwivedi’s remarks signal a doctrinal shift—blending conventional might with agile, tech-empowered units to counter emerging threats from state and non-state actors alike. The Ukraine war, he concluded, is not just a distant crisis—it’s a real-time classroom for India’s defense future.

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