Sudarshan Chakra will be India’s own iron dome: CDS Gen Anil Chauhan

New Delhi: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Tuesday addressed the inaugural edition of Ran Samwad, the Indian Armed Forces’ first-ever Tri-Service seminar held at the Army War College in Mhow.

The seminar, themed “Impact of Technology on Warfare”, brought together military practitioners, academics, think tanks, and industry experts to discuss the future of warfighting and national security preparedness.

Speaking on the occasion, General Chauhan highlighted the growing importance of indigenously developed technological systems to meet emerging strategic challenges. He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address in which the PM mentioned the development of the Sudarshan Chakra, a futuristic defence shield likened to Israel’s Iron Dome.

“A second aspect for discussion in this seminar is the Sudarshan Chakra, India’s own Iron Dome or Golden Dome,” said the CDS.

“The Prime Minister mentioned this on 15th August, stating that the Sudarshan Chakra will enhance India’s strategic defence and is expected to be rolled out by 2035. The aim is to develop a system to protect India’s strategic, civilian, and nationally important sites,” he added.

The system, he explained, will serve both as a shield and a sword, combining detection, acquisition, and neutralisation capabilities. “It will require the development of robust infrastructure and processes, using both soft and hard skills, including kinetic and directed energy weapons,” General Chauhan said.

On the broader theme of the seminar, the CDS emphasised the need for a strategic shift in both military thought and practice.

“Serious research needs to be conducted on all dimensions of war, including leadership, motivation, technology, tactics, and strategy. This is crucial as India’s stature grows,” he said.

Calling for a forward-looking national approach, he stated, “As a Viksit Bharat, we need to be Sashakt, Surakshit, and Aatmanirbhar, advanced not only in technology but also in ideas and practice.”

General Chauhan also underlined the importance of involving wider society in the discourse on national security. “There is a need to increase awareness across all segments of society regarding doctrinal and conceptual aspects, the academic pursuit of how war is fought, and the practical aspects of war-fighting techniques and tactics,” he said.

Ran Samwad focused on two critical themes: Emerging Technologies and Impact on Future Warfare, and Reforms in Institutionalised Training to Catalyse Technological Enablement. The seminar aims to generate actionable outcomes toward building future-ready armed forces, aligned with India’s long-term national security vision.

–IANS