Seminar Report SECURING the FUTURE BATTLESPACE

Seminar Report

SECURING THE FUTURE BATTLESPACE: INFORMATION AND SPACE WARFARE

December 21, 2019 Seminar Coordinator: Colonel Neeraj Trivedi Rapporteur: Tejusvi Shukla, Thejus Gireesh, Anushka Saraswat, Shivangi Dikshit

Centre for Land Warfare Studies RPSO Complex, Parade Road, Delhi Cantt, New Delhi-110010 Phone: 011-25691308; Fax: 011-25692347; Army No.: 33098 email: [email protected]; website: www.claws.in

The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, is an independent think tank dealing with contemporary issues of national security and conceptual aspects of land warfare, including conventional and sub-conventional conflicts and terrorism. CLAWS conducts research that is futuristic in outlook and policy-oriented in approach.

CLAWS Vision: To establish as a leading Centre of Excellence, Research and Studies on Military Strategy & Doctrine, Land Warfare, Regional & National Security, Military Technology and Human Resource.

The views expressed in this report are sole responsibility of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of India, or Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army) or Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

The content may be reproduced by giving due credit to the speaker(s) and the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi.

Printed in India by Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd. DDA Complex LSC, Building No. 4, 2nd Floor Pocket 6 & 7, Sector – C Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070 www.bloomsbury.com Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 DETAILED REPORT 3 • Inaugural Session 5 Opening Remarks by Director, CLAWS 5 – Special Address by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Shipping Ministry and MSME 6 – Keynote Address by Lieutenant General Raj Shukla, YSM, SM, DGPP and President Executive Council, CLAWS 8 – Special Address by Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha 10 – Special Address by General VP Malik, PVSM, AVSM (Retd), Former COAS 12 – Synopsis of the book Future of Land Warfare: Beyond the Horizon 15 • Session I. Information Warfare: Converged Operations and Vulnerabilities 17 – Information Warfare: Evolution as an Integrated Domain of Warfare 18 – Cyber Warfare and Contemporary Challenges to National Security 21 – National Strategy to Shape Perceptions and Environment 23 • Session II. Space Security 25 – Space Militarisation: National Security and Strategic Perspective 28 iv Contents

– China’s Military Space Strategy and Capability Build up 30 – Space Domain: Vulnerabilities and Way Ahead 33 PROGRAMME 37 CONCEPT NOTE 39 Executive summary

Technological advancements have brought a paradigm shift in the battlespace. Today, the five domains of warfare—air, land, sea, space, and cyber have merged into the Information Domain. Combat is no longer confined to the physical domain; it has become a feature of informational and cognitive domains. Information and space domains are critical components of the strategic military domain. The military leveraging of emerging disruptive technologies requires dynamic responses. The larger battle is about the control of the digital battlespace. Technological capacities in enabling areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cyber can decisively tilt the military balance. Information Domain is the most integrating and decisive domain of war. There is a requirement of having net-centric platforms and converged communication networks in the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Information, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4I2SR) architecture for achieving a Tri- Services synergy for aggregated effects. Thus, communication can also act as a decisive catalyst for achieving jointness. Now, information control has become a pre-requisite before the launch of a tactical operation. The strategic perspective of new emerging technologies must have a broad-based understanding of its purpose, our responses, and how competitive advantage can be achieved by leveraging information in a net-centric environment. Asymmetric war, with cyber operations and exploitation of social media, is being fought for building a narrative to the advantage of adversaries. With the increasing use of AI and Quantum Computing, there is an equal emphasis on the offensive, as well as, defensive cyber operations. Out-of-the-box thinking and measures are required to win the battle of perception management. A national strategy is required to exploit social media to own advantage as this has the advantage of causing huge disruption on the adversary without a single shot being fired. 2 Securing the Future Battlespace

China’s massive investment in Research and Development (R&D) of emerging technologies like Cyber, Space, and AI is a cause of concern. Their pre-dominance in the field of 5G will give them unfettered access and control over the internet and hence, information across the globe. China has been successful in getting its acts together and having a co-ordinated, well-developed Comprehensive National Security Strategy (CNSS) where there is a convergence of civil, military, and economic elements of power. India has justified ambitions but that needs to be backed by technological capability which is in-sync with its vision and economic prowess. We have to be better than our adversary or we are not there at all. There is a requirement to develop centres of excellence in R&D, reorient the training of Armed Forces personnel keeping in tune with modern realities and get them technologically oriented. We must utilise the talent and skills available in the civil industry. Embracing technology has to be taken as a national mission if we wish to leapfrog across this technological divide and get abreast with our adversaries. We need to develop our security protocols and have data ownership. There is planning, awareness, and knowledge of requirements, but we are lacking in fast-paced implementation. A National Security Technology Board should be set up to coordinate and utilise skills across all sectors and coordinate and monitor the fast implementation of projects as a national endeavour. We need to wake up to the threat that control of future technologies and the internet is slipping out of the hands of democratically elected governments due to the expanding Chinese footprints. Therefore, there is a need to reorient and focus our priorities to secure the future battlespace by having a pre-dominance in Information Domain including Cyber and Space. Detailed report

The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) organised a seminar on “Securing the Future Battlespace: Information and Space Warfare” on December 21, 2019 at the Manekshaw Centre, Delhi. On this occasion, CLAWS also released a book, “Future of Land Warfare: Beyond the Horizon”. Important issues highlighted at the Seminar are as mentioned in succeeding paragraphs.

Objective of the Seminar The objective of the Seminar was to debate on the issues related to securing of the future battlespace with a focus on information and space warfare. The issues were to be deliberated upon in two sessions on specific aspects to generate recommendations that would assist in addressing concerns of the future operational environment.

Conduct The Seminar was conducted under the following sessions: • Inaugural Session and Book Release: Opening Remarks by Lieutenant General (Dr.) VK Ahluwalia, PVSM, AVSM**, YSM, VSM (Retd), Director CLAWS – Keynote Address by Lieutenant General Raj Shukla, YSM, SM, DG PP – Special Address by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road, Transport, and Highways, Shipping and MSME – Special Address by Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha – Special Address by General VP Malik, PVSM, AVSM (Retd), Former COAS – Book Release: Future of Land Warfare: Beyond the Horizon, Editor: Major General (Dr.) PK Chakravorty, VSM (Retd) 4 Securing the Future Battlespace

• Session I. Information Warfare: Converged Operations and Vulnerabilities. Chaired by Lieutenant General (Dr.) Rajesh Pant, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, (Retd), National Cyber Security Coordinator – Information Warfare: Evolution as an Integrated Domain of Warfare by Lieutenant General Rajeev Sabherwal, AVSM, VSM, SO-in-C – Cyber Warfare and Contemporary Challenges to National Security by Shri Alok Joshi, Member NSAB, Ex-Chairman NTRO – National Strategy to Shape Perceptions and Environment by Major Gaurav Arya (Retd), Defence Analyst • Session II. Space Security. Chaired by Shri VK Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog – Space Militarisation: National Security and Strategic Perspective by Group Captain Ajey Lele (Retd), Senior Fellow IDSA – China’s Military Space Strategy and Capability Build up by Colonel PS Bath, PP Dte – Space Domain: Vulnerabilities and Way Ahead by Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Senior Fellow, ORF Detailed Report 5

INAUGURAL SESSION

Opening Remarks by Lieutenant General (Dr.) VK Ahluwalia, PVSM, AVSM**, YSM, VSM (Retd), Director CLAWS

Inaugural address delivered by Lt Gen (Dr.) VK Ahluwalia, Director CLAWS In his opening remarks Director CLAWS, Lieutenant General (Dr.) VK Ahluwalia welcomed the gathering on behalf of CLAWS fraternity to the Seminar on “Securing the Future Battlespace: Information and Space Warfare” and for the release of CLAWS book “Future of Land Warfare: Beyond the Horizon”. He conveyed that both the book and the seminar, crystal gazes into the revolutionary changes in technology, changes in the character of conflicts, employment of forces, and new threats and challenges to the national security. He emphasised on the importance of information and how it was crucial for securing data. Delving further into the subject, he mentioned how information, cyber and space warfare as part of hybrid wars can cause massive destruction. He also referred to a Chinese book Unrestricted Warfare (written by Colonel Qiao Liang 6 Securing the Future Battlespace and Wang Xiang Sui) which is a sobering and fascinating study on the war in the modern era and it carefully explores strategies that nations may take to successfully launch an offensive. He highlighted the need for coordination amongst all the forces to fight the complex challenges to national security. While introducing Future of Land Warfare: Beyond the Horizon, Lieutenant General Ahluwalia said that each chapter was written by a composite team of professionally competent co-authors to ensure that all important aspects of land warfare are covered comprehensively. He appreciated the work of an intern Ms Kritika Punia, the author of the first chapter of the book, “Janapada”, which talks about Janachetna and tries to offer a solution for resolving the Indo-China boundary dispute. The Director also appreciated the efforts and the commitment of Major General (Dr.) PK Chakravorty for his contributions as the editor of the book.

Special Address by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road, Transport, and Highways, Shipping Ministry and MSME

Special Address being delivered by Shri Nitin Gadkari ,Hon’ble Minister for Road, Transport, and Highways, Shipping Ministry and MSME Detailed Report 7

Shri Nitin Gadkari complimented CLAWS on its attempts to visualise the future of national security requirements by organising a seminar on future battlespace and publication of a well-researched book. The Minister mentioned that “We can donate an eye, but we cannot donate a vision.” It is, therefore, important to think ahead in the future at least 50 years hence and lay out a roadmap for nation- building. He mentioned that the true strength of India lies in its talented young population and their expanding knowledge base which has the potential to propel the nation on its trajectory of growth. At present, the country facing the issues of both internal and external security threats, wherein the lines of battlespace are getting blurred. The Minister delved on the issues of naxalism and terrorism and its effects on national security. He further mentioned how Pakistan is waging a proxy war against India despite being defeated thrice in war. While sharing an episode of his meeting with the American Ambassador, the Minister informed how he stressed upon the moral obligation of the international community to stand up against terrorism in all its forms and the need of the world community to isolate its perpetrators. Mr. Gadkari said that information technology, biotechnology, and defence-related technology are evolving rapidly which makes work by the research wing of the Defence Forces crucial. He said that he also encourages research in the field of infrastructure, despite the bureaucratic hurdles. Research and technology have enabled the government to build cost-effective ports and highways during the past few years. He made a mention of the successful joint venture between IIT, Chennai and an Australian company that worked to significantly reduce the cost of dredging at Kolkata’s Haldia port. Emphasising on efforts to improve civil- military relations, the Minister mentioned the need to have better research and technology with the help of joint ventures with foreign companies. He also stressed that it is important to have quick decision-making, otherwise by the time the technology comes to the country it becomes obsolete. Stressing on the importance of research, the Minister said that the research institutes requires support from all stakeholders. There is a need for time-bound research, initiated and 8 Securing the Future Battlespace supported by the government agencies involving academic institutes of excellence which will act as a catalyst to produce quality work. Speaking on terrorism, Mr. Gadkari stated that earlier the nations of the West often gave lessons to India and were oblivious to its plight, but are now recognising terrorism as a major threat to world peace after having experienced incidents of terrorist attacks in their homeland. In conclusion, he said that the norms of war are changing as mentioned in the book and it is important to change with the time. Any delay in the adoption of new technologies and their implementation will prove to be a major bane for the country. In the end, he appreciated the efforts of Major General (Dr.) PK Chakravorty and his team for their research and to lay a roadmap about the future security needs of the country.

Keynote Address by Lieutenant General Raj Shukla, YSM, SM, DGPP and President Executive Council CLAWS

Keynote Address being delivered by Lt Gen Raj Shukla, DGPP and President Executive Council, CLAWS Detailed Report 9

Lieutenant General Raj Shukla in his special address brought out the importance of information and space domains in the strategic, as well as, operational and tactical perspectives. There is a battle being waged around the world to control the digital battlespace. Ushering in 5G technology will bring revolutionary changes in communications and data sharing creating more than 3 million jobs and adding another 500 million dollars to the gross domestic product (GDP). This coupled with massive data generation and developments in Machine Learning Algorithm and AI will act as a catalyst to exploit the information revolution. India is still lagging in the learning curve as compared to China where its companies Huawei and ZTE will roll out 5G services by the end of 2020 which will be of immense value to them in terms of trade and commerce. There are justified security apprehensions which are being raised across the world over the use of Chinese technology equipments. These equipments, though meeting the commercial requirements, can also be used to control the communication networks and data. If a Chinese telecom controls the 5G network of the countries, all the data available will be vulnerable for exploitation by the Chinese. The military manifesto of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) speaks about Unrestricted Warfare and professes it as a principle of war that uses all possible means to achieve one’s interest. So, 5G can be used to secure geo-strategic advantage, alter geo-strategic realities through the aggregation of all instruments in the strategic toolkit. The fact of the matter is that China-led 5G networks will be the dominant reality in the next 2 years and given the huge commercial and economic spin-off, very few will be able to function without it or address the challenges it poses. According to him in the Indian context, all the issues must be analysed with a strategic perspective. This must be built on a broad-based understanding of leveraging information in a digital battlespace. He further said that there is no distinct domain any longer like combat or civil as they are all dissolving into a common battlespace where each is open for leveraging and each is vulnerable in its way. Without a deeper understanding of strategic leveraging, the tactical applications will be half-baked. A strategic perspective is required to aid tactical operations. Also, there is a need for combined 10 Securing the Future Battlespace efforts of all the sectors for competitive advantage. If Huawei monitors data for the PLA, China will have a humongous advantage in the digitised battlefield. If we do not have a strategic convergence in the information space, we will not be able to compete with our adversaries and achieve jointness which requires all the single service networks to be able to communicate with each other. In his concluding remarks, he mentioned the growing emergence of Cyber Warfare in conjunction with Quantum Computing and AI and the requirement to invest in both offensive and defensive strategies in the cyber realm.

Special Address by Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha

Special Address delivered by Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha The Member of Parliament while delivering the special address stated that the conflicts that India is experiencing today or the challenges we face today are an inevitable consequence of the economic rise of India. This economic rise is being looked at with a great deal of discomfort as it clashes with the ambition and economic space occupied by certain neighbours of India. Detailed Report 11

The current conflicts, whether religious, ideological or territorial, hide behind the main objective of slowing down India’s economic rise. It would not be an easy path of development for India in the coming years as several nations/sections who feel disadvantaged with this economic rise of India will use instruments of asymmetric warfare such as terrorism, including warfare in the information, cyber, space, and other domains. This places the technological capabilities and economic strength at the centre of India’s vision for growth. He opined that India does possess the technology and capability to meet ambitions but there have been decades of focusing on wrong priorities. Now it’s time to focus on the fast-paced technological developments which shall play a crucial role in deciding the future geopolitics and national security of India. Talking about the threat from China to India’s security, he said that we have allowed over a decade and half of the unfiltered access to Chinese equipment, manufacturers, and communication devices in India. Every Chinese device in India has some software embedded into it which exports terabytes of data back. In the past 5 years, China has invested more in technology R&D than the US, South Korea, Japan, and India. The Chinese are investing in core technologies, unlike the Americans who are primarily focussed on consumer technologies. The future concern lies in the fact that the internet with the emerging Chinese based 5G platform would enable China to exercise control over it. This makes it more important especially for Armed Forces to focus on capability building rather than focusing just on the platforms. Though in the last two decades, the capabilities and understanding within our Armed Forces in terms of technology have seen a quantum jump, we need to take another quantum jump. This jump can be taken by including private enterprises and encouraging private R&D. Shri Chandrasekhar mentioned that as a Member of a Committee of NITI Aayog they are planning to club together various centres of science into R&D clusters, where each cluster will specialise in a specific area. He suggested that the Military R&D should also look at forming such technological clusters rather than depending solely on the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) or any similar laboratories. He further stated that the future of 12 Securing the Future Battlespace technology is slipping out of control of the democratic nations of the world and, hence, we need to find a model of cooperating with states like the US, Japan, Israel, and South Korea with due considerations to our security protocols and establish ownership access to capabilities for the future. In conclusion, he said that there is a vacuum in the understanding of security concerns among policymakers and we need to create a way to have a security literate society. There is a requirement of having proactive advocacy about the needs of our nation to achieve a quantum leap in terms of technology.

Special Address by General VP Malik, PVSM, AVSM (Retd), Former Chief of the Army Staff

Special Address delivered by General VP Malik, Former Chief of the Army Staff General Malik began by congratulating CLAWS as well as the authors of the book. He said that the book “Future of Land Warfare: Detailed Report 13

Beyond the Horizon” is a very comprehensive compilation of essays. The book includes all essential aspects starting from the importance of land warfare to the steps that needs to be taken in the future in the domain of land warfare. He mentioned that the book includes chapters that talk about revamping the Indian Armed Forces. Time should not be wasted in the implementation of the thought process as we seek to achieve greater jointness, reduce expenditure, and improving our capability. He appreciated the range and experience of the authors which has made the book a great blend of experience and academic research. Coming to the topic of the seminar, General Malik said that technological advancements have always affected and driven warfare. The issue at present is that technological advancements are moving faster than before. Earlier, the weapon system, concept, and strategies lasted for 30 years but the concern is that the character and the conduct of war are changing at a much faster pace. This needs to be registered by both the young and the old officers. He referred to BH Liddell Hart who said that “the only thing harder than getting a new idea into the military mind is to get an old one out.” as they are traditional and conservative in their attitude and outlook. He noted that we do not visualise and accept changes easily. He emphasised on the importance of implementation rather than awareness and planning. We are just visualising and conceptualising only minor changes from the kind of wars we have fought since 1971 and 1999. We are not coming out of the old box studies or knowledge and this is a big challenge. We say that over the decades we have recognised the fact that cyberspace and electromagnetic spectrum and the use of space operations provide us with an effective means for getting the adversaries, but we need to look into the fact that have we developed these capabilities to counter the 30 years old cross-border terrorism or other military activities of our adversaries. He says that we require offensive technology alongside technology to provide security to our systems. We are spending a large amount of money on our box studies and too little on new technology including C4I2SR technology; 14 Securing the Future Battlespace hence, there is a need for change. He suggested the Army of coming ‘out-of-its-own-box’ and reform training of officers. In training and development of officers, we should spend only 5 to 7 years as far as tactical or weapons training is concerned, following which, we should shift to operational training, and within 15 years we should start thinking of strategies. There is a need to spend more time in the free-thinking of soldiers and look at the way we groom officers in the Armed Forces. Therefore, a need to introduce new technology and training systems within the Armed Forces is a must to stay ahead of adversaries. He said that during the combined commander conference 5 years ago, the present Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said that, new technology offers us effective ways to face traditional and new challenges and we need to incorporate the power of digital network and space assets into our capabilities and defence technology. It must be a national endeavour to tap and utilise the potential of all institutions in the country. General Malik said that the issues we are discussing at present were raised by the Prime Minister 5 years ago and unfortunately, we have made little progress on all these issues. He said that both military and civilian and public and private are working individually and we haven’t learned to work together. We tend to compete with each other and we lack a sense of cooperation. The success of China lies in the fact that all the sectors have worked together to achieve the national interest. For the technological development in the Armed Forces, he proposed that there is a need for a National Security Technological Board which comprises well- known people from the field of technology and the users of the new technologies, i.e. the leaders of the Armed Forces. Talking about strategic thinking, he said that there is a need to think about the kind of disruption we will cause to the enemy and the ability to inflict unexpected greater damage is something we should aim for. He ended by saying that we should disrupt and upset the mind of the enemy and include this in our studies and have the will to implement what we plan.

Detailed Report 15

INAUGURAL SESSION: BOOK RELEASE

Future of Land Warfare: Beyond the Horizon

The Centre for Land Warfare Studies released the book “Future of Land Warfare: Beyond the Horizon”. The book, comprising a collection of perceptive essays, has enumerated the essentiality of understanding the future of land warfare in the present context of the twenty-first century. Starting from what could initiate future wars, it goes on to cover emerging technologies, three dimensional as well as kinetic aspects of warfare like manoeuvre and firepower, and organisational issues like the theatre commands. It also highlights the need to revamp the Indian Armed Forces and makes recommendations thereon. The book contains a compilation of articles from experts of various domains; the revolutionary changes in technology, the character of conflicts, employment of myriad forces, and the various threats and challenges to national security. It gives recommendations on the way forward over a horizon of the next 10-15 years. It is a thought-provoking book and would provide inputs to the policymakers and strategic community. 16 Securing the Future Battlespace

The book includes key areas such as Janapada (territory), challenges to national security, the role of emerging technologies, and the employment of forces in different operational environments. Janapada is a multi-dimensional concept, which has become the prime reason for war and the chief component of the state’s warfare strategy. Thereafter, the book deals with the national security challenges followed by the application of emerging technologies and information warfare. In addition, it brings forth interesting aspects of manoeuvre warfare, firepower, Special Forces, airborne operations, the transformation of the Indian Armed Forces, and the impact of theatre commands of the PLA of China on India. Logistics remains the most important part of the book, as it provides the edifice for the conduct of all operations. Main takeaways of the book are: the need to formulate a CNSS and adopt a mission-oriented approach to resolve ongoing internal armed conflicts. Simultaneously, we should focus on developing Comprehensive National Power (CNP) and progressively transforming our entire defence setup, including defence industrial base, to meet the threats and challenges ‘beyond the horizon’. National security should not be held hostage to the preservation of turfs or attempting to reach a consensus. Matters like national security require tough calls to be made which are backed by the implementation in a time- bound manner, if we do not wish to be at a disadvantage in future conflicts. It is a thought-provoking book, which would be useful for the policymakers, practitioners, strategic community, training establishments, the three services, and also the civilian and military personnel alike. The book has a Foreword written by Lieutenant General (Dr.) VK Ahluwalia, PVSM, AVSM**, YSM, VSM (Retd) and has been edited and compiled by Major General PK (Dr.) Chakravorty, VSM (Retd). Eminent personalities like General VP Malik (Former COAS), Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal, and Professor Gautam Sen has written blurbs for the Book. Detailed Report 17

SESSION I: Opening Remarks

Panellists for Session I

Opening Remarks by the Chair, Lieutenant General (Dr.) Rajesh Pant, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, (Retd), National Cyber Security Coordinator

Opening Remarks by the Chair, Lieutenant General (Dr.) Rajesh Pant 18 Securing the Future Battlespace

Chairing of the first session, Lieutenant General (Dr.) Rajesh Pant, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, (Retd), the National Cyber Security Coordinator stated that warfare has multiple domains. He emphasised upon the fact that the ultimate aim of military operations is to impose ‘own will’ on the adversaries and they require to fight in all three domains. These are recognised as core domains of war. Later, with developments in space and technology, the space domain has emerged as the new domain of warfare where all the other domains converged. The Information Domain was defined as the fifth core domain around which all the other domains tend to now get converged. The Information Domain has both Cyberspace and Electromagnetic Spectrums which make each of them a subset of Information Domain. Information Domain has become the most important and dominating domain.

Sub-Theme 1: Information Warfare: An Integrating Domain of Warfare by Lieutenant General Rajeev Sabherwal, AVSM, VSM, SO-in-C

Information Warfare: An Integrating Domain of Warfare by Lt Gen Rajeev Sabherwal Detailed Report 19

The General Officer began by highlighting that Information Domain is the most decisive domain which integrates all the other domains. Over the years, we have seen how communication found its way in computers, transistors, iPads, etc., and acquired memory and processing. As a result, their utility increased from communicating to computing and even routing functions. Later in the era, the devices that acquired both capacities came to be known as knowledgeable or smart devices that were capable of self-synchronising. In the Information Age, these smart devices led to means of the individual which on their own can give decisive results. Information Operations or Information Warfare can range from peace to conflict and post-conflict. The desired end state of any Information Operations within the Information Domain is, that the superiority and dominance of information which translates into combat power. Information Environment consists of physical, cognitive, and information domains. If the core capabilities of Information Warfare are planted in these domains, the operational security runs through all of them. Deception and psychological operations are primarily focused on the cognitive domain and Electronic and Cyber Warfare are focused on the information and physical part. The Indian Army focuses on Cyber and Electronic Magnetic Activities (CEMA) which consists of cyber operations, Electronic Warfare (EW), spectrum management operations, Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) and tactical communications. In the complete framework of cyber and electromagnetic activities, the actions are in the physical domain but effects are felt in the cognitive domain.

Information Domain is the Most Decisive Domain Electromagnetic space is the core part of the Information Environment and an integral part of Information Domain. In platform centric warfare, sensors, shooters, and decision-makers are loosely connected to each other and in net-centric warfare, they are integrated with each other. We need sensors, shooters, and decision-makers that can function in an integrated manner. While functioning in an integrated 20 Securing the Future Battlespace manner they exploit the electromagnetic space, which itself is a part of the Information Environment which forms a part of Information Domain. If war is waged in any domain it’s sensors, shooters, and all decision-makers carry out communication in the Information Domain which makes this Domain the most decisive of all domains. Major powers like Russia and China have already realised the potential of electromagnetic space and continue to exploit it with their emerging developments in the field of information. The General Officer further stated that in the Observe, Orient, Decide and Act (OODA) cycle the most important part is the decision-making, the sensors pick up signals in the physical domain and pass inputs through Information Domain to all commanders in the cognitive domain while collaborative decision-making and awareness amongst all commander’s takes place in the social domain. All these are functions of technology. Faster decision-making and actions get converted to combat power; hence, Information Domain is referred to as the most decisive domain. The General stressed upon the necessity of building a robust C4I2SR architecture, where it will be possible to get a complete picture at the national level. Converged communications in a net-centric environment, communicating across the three service networks is essential for tri-services synergy. Recommendations made for the way ahead are as follows: • Cyber and EW Capacity Building. • CEMA Framework which integrates Cyber, EW, SIGINT, and Communication Systems. • Net-centricity to link sensors, shooters, and decision-makers effectively. • Developments of application for C4I2SR and net-centricity. • Tri-services synergy for aggregated effects. Detailed Report 21

Sub-Theme 2: Cyber Warfare and Contemporary Challenges to National Security by Shri Alok Joshi, Member NSAB, Ex- Chairman NTRO

Cyber Warfare and Contemporary Challenges to National Security by Shri Alok Joshi Shri Alok Joshi began by highlighting the importance of Cyber Warfare. He stated that Cyber Warfare is the most vital of all warfares because it is a game-changer. Unlike biological or military warfare it leaves very few opportunities for analysis and protection against the adversary’s combat capabilities. In the scope of Cyber Warfare, the choice of cyber weapons and targets cover a much wider spectrum as compared to the military targets. To build upon the concept of Cyber Warfare and its implications on national security, he presented a scenario where tensions are running high with adversaries and efforts of diplomacy have failed with rhetoric’s reaching a crescendo. As a consequence, India might find itself a target of multiple cyber attacks on vital civil, military, command and control centres as well as the spread of panic amongst the population through a series of false news by exploiting social media. These coordinated attacks could immobilise political decision-making, civil infrastructure, thus creating an environment of confusion, mistrust, and anarchy without firing a single shot. The threat is real and present. The cyber world 22 Securing the Future Battlespace does not offer itself to compartmentalisation and allows silos of working in civil or military worlds. Cyber threats are asymmetric and numbers are not required but capabilities. Unlike in kinetic attacks or intrusions, it is more difficult to prove attribution in cyber attacks. Insider attack prevention needs strong counterintelligence. The manipulations of data and the control of social media can further the cause of non-state actors to heighten tensions and increase the threat levels. He stated that that cyber use has become so prevalent in our lives in the present age that it has become inextricable thereby increasing our vulnerabilities to a cyber- attack and causing a greater disruption.

Recommendations on the Way Ahead

Honest Audit It’s important to do an honest audit of our capabilities and inadequacies rather than lip service and bridging the gaps. A strong case of building up cyber hygiene upfront and train to raise the level of awareness and follow a policy of incentives and disincentives and analysis of our systems for vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks. An honest audit will help us build a more secure cyber environment and prepare for the possible threats coming from adversaries. Protocols and standard operating procedures needs to be worked out.

Focusing on Enhanced Capabilities The speaker further suggested that special force units and agencies should be established to develop domain expertise in information and cyber capabilities in both offensive and defensive domains. There is a need to have enhanced robust encryptions for data protection. Policies for relaxation of Qualitative Requirements (QRs) for building up a team of domain experts and looking after their careers. There is a need to have a coordinated approach for hostile moves from Pakistan and China who have well-established capabilities and organisation. There is a need to exploit the capabilities of the private sector which has a lot of expertise. Let there be pooling of resources and sharing of capabilities to optimise exploitation of all agencies. Detailed Report 23

Sub-Theme 3: National Strategy to Shape Perceptions and Environments by Major Gaurav Arya (Retd), Defence Analyst

National Strategy to Shape Perceptions and Environments by Major Gaurav Arya

Media as a Weapon of War: Social Media Major Arya in his opening remarks quoting Sun Tzu stated that “the Supreme art of warfare is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” He further cited that how Machiavelli and Chanakya have talked about spies and rumour-mongering in their literatures and encouraged people to use them as weapons in times of war. For long, we have underestimated the power of rumour mongering, innuendo, and propaganda when clearly our ancestors had mentioned them in the ancient literatures. Russia has active hackers and is constantly hitting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) e-targets. Russia was blamed for using Facebook and other social media tools to influence Trump’s election and also for the projection of Putin as a tough leader. He spoke about the role of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and their army of trolls who have led the IW fight against India to build false narratives and spread misinformation 24 Securing the Future Battlespace regarding surgical strike at Balakot, removal of Article 370, and on Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019/National Register of Citizens for Assam (CAA/NRC). India till now has nothing like the Directorate General of ISPR and needs to exploit the challenges of social media as we are most of the time only reacting. Pakistan has been constantly attacking India through social media without any kinetic actions on humanitarian violations in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by spreading lies till people start believing in them. China exercises state control over information flow by regulating the internet. China has controlled information because they know controlling information lets you control everything else. Once you control information and the minds of people you control everything.

Shortcomings The current shortcomings are the absence of a National Policy to shape and drive perception and environment and the absence of a centralised and empowered perception management department. We are meek and reactive in approach whereas the need is to be proactive and aggressive and we are plagued by inter-agency rivalries. He asserted that India is fighting a twenty-first-century war with the nineteenth-century mindset. Eventually, he identified the drawbacks in cadre management of domain experts and the absence of IW talent in government agencies, including the Army. IW management and perception building should not remain a victim of tenure and cadre management. He also mentioned that officers in the Indian Army may not be able to manage cyber threats unless they have been trained to do that in the first place. He argued that civilians who are experts in hacking and functioning in cyber domains will prove to be more efficient in dealing with the threats of the twenty-first century which differ in nature to those faced by Armed Forces in the past. There is a need to build an organisation and invest resources in this field which will yield disproportionate rich dividends.

Recommendations on the Way Ahead He suggested that there is a need for making policies on perception management. India needs to create narratives of its own to fight Detailed Report 25 the information wars. He strongly recommended establishing a force of e-warriors who are experts in the field of hacking. He also suggested including experts who are bloggers, lyricists, musicians, influencers, etc. However, he stated that the agencies of such kind should be headed by the Indian Army but their day-to-day function should be done by civilians who are experts in the respective fields. There has to be better management to use social media platforms efficiently, to create narratives and balance false notions and news about India. He mentioned we must recognise the role of Pakistan as a promoter of terrorism on Indian soil and project this effectively at the world stage. Training the Indian Armed Forces to handle social media more effectively, capsules of training for journalists, so that they understand the environment better which is important in the twenty- first century. Manipulation of electronic media through the use of advertisements, planted stories on official Twitter handles, Facebook, and Instagram accounts must now become more aggressive. Also, before the government announces any issue of national importance a narrative should be built up effectively to mould public opinion.

SESSION 2: Space Security

Panellists for Session 2 26 Securing the Future Battlespace

Opening Remarks by the Chair Shri VK Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog

Opening Remarks by the Chair Shri VK Saraswat Shri VK Saraswat in his opening remarks mentioned that in the past 70 years, the world has witnessed the space industry moving ahead from the initial developmental phase to the present day of technological advancements. There are many private players also now in the industry who are active in both commercial and military arenas. In a net-centric environment, there is massive dependence on the space domain. He further spoke about the various research institutions like TATA which are doing stellar work in the private Detailed Report 27 sector. India has a speciality in sending payloads on their satellites at low costs which is used by institutions, industries and countries worldwide. The priority is given to the defence sector because their requirements have grown over the years which require complex systems for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and EW systems. The development of new technologies is driving the exploitation of space. He remarked that the commercial usage of space by private players is now more visible than it was earlier. Space is becoming more globalised and is affecting national security, as well as the social, political, and economic spheres of countries. It is important that we maintain the security of special assets. Weaponisation of Space Domain is an issue of concern for all nations. Various anti-satellite systems which include the Killer Satellites, Microsatellites, Anti-Satellite tests (ASAT) or EW systems are being used to tamper the satellites to achieve military objectives. According to US, a major threat to American space operations emanates from China and Russia. China is developing a full spectrum of space capabilities with an ambitious road map. National Prestige is one of their major driving forces that supports its military and economic interests. Regulatory mechanisms are being put in place after the Outer Space 1967 treaty. The United Nations (UN) outer space guidelines were drawn up in 2010 followed by the UN meeting in 2016 to lay down the rules for space utilisation.

Recommendations and Way Forward for India • India should build space systems to reduce its vulnerabilities. • Capability build-up of launch stations. • Development of a low-cost, quick-reaction launch vehicle for the launching of micro and macro satellites for different payloads. • India should play a major role when it comes to international space policy initiatives. 28 Securing the Future Battlespace

Sub-Theme 1: Space Militarisation: National Security and Strategic Perspective by Group Captain Ajey Lele (Retd), Senior Fellow, IDSA

Space Militarisation: National Security and Strategic Perspective by Gp Capt Ajey Lele Group Captain Ajey Lele in his presentation took a run down through the history of space programmes starting from Sputnik 1 to the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin. He then mentioned about the then President Reagan’s famous speech about the articulation of a future space war. He then remarked how the Global Positioning System (GPS) was made public due to a tragedy. In 1983, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 entered Soviet airspace after a navigation error; it was shot down, killing all 269 passengers after which President Reagan opened GPS to the public on September 16, 1983 but with an accuracy of about 100 metre to ensure that only the US military had the best data available. He later elaborated about the militarisation of space from various perspectives, namely: Detailed Report 29

• Usage of space in remote sensing and earth observation. • For the purpose of reconnaissance and navigation. • For the purposes of communication. He highlighted the main events that contributed to the purposes of space exploration, the Star Wars Series, which encouraged space explorations. In the 1991 Gulf War, technologies related to the use of space domains were heavily utilised for the conduct of military operations. During the accidental bombing in Belgrade and the 1999 Kosovo Conflict, there was massive dependence on space domain. India must use space for strategic purposes wherein India has launched (with Israeli assistance) two Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites called RISAT II (2009) and RISAT I (2012) essentially to address terrorism-related threats. Future proposals for India include GSAT 7B which is expected to be launched for the Indian Army, as well as, satellites for the BSF, para-military forces, and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Regarding China’s Space Programme, he called it “a mystery within a maze”. Chinese space programme no longer reverses engineer’s technologies and they have made significant investments in this domain. India’s ASAT test ‘Operation Shakti’ was a success though it needs to make significant investments in non-kinetic options like lasers and counter-space capabilities. Pakistan may also possess counter space technologies. In his concluding remarks he mentioned that in the future, space debris and extra-vehicular activities will increase and lead to the requirement of the reuse of existing satellites. He also shed light on China’s Earth-Moon Space Economic Cone, akin to Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which they intend to start by 2030. He said that space tourism will play an important role in the future. Both militarisation and weaponisation of the space domain will continue to coexist as its strategic relevance increases. 30 Securing the Future Battlespace

Sub-Theme 2: China’s Military Space Strategy and Capability Build Up by Colonel PS Bath, PP Dte

China’s Military Space Strategy and Capability Build Up by Col PS Bath Colonel PS Bath spoke about the evolution of China’s space programme, in which he said that the Ballistic Missile programme of China laid the foundation for China’s Space ventures. Mao Zedong’s Project 581 was adopted in 1958 to place a satellite in space. The initial breakthrough was achieved in 1956/66 wherein one of the key achievements was the development of the first indigenous Ballistic Missile in 1966. This was followed by China setting its foot in space under Zhou Enlai’s patronage and launching the first space satellite Dong Fang Hong in 1970. He stated that the period between 1976 and 1986 can be denoted as a period of China’s space race which benefitted the country especially in telecom and remote sensing. The launching of the first satellite in Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (GEO) by China was done in 1984. The next two decades thereafter can be called “China’s Golden Decade in Space” from 1986 to 2006 during which China’s first manned space mission was launched and gave rise to their aspirations of the space station. Detailed Report 31

Chinese achieved the strategic space high ground from 2006 onwards by the conduct of ASAT test in 2007, the in-orbit manoeuvre in 2010, and giant leaps in launch vehicle technology. They also achieved a breakthrough in niche technologies such as Kuaizhou (quick vessel) space launch vehicle and laser radars for satellite tracking, space assisted Ballistic Missile defence capability and in seaborne launch capability in June 2019. He stated that China’s Defense White Paper (2015) designated space as a military domain. Through this, the PLA commenced its eleventh major re-organisation in December 2015 which led to the creation of five services, namely, PLA, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), and the People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF). The PLASSF was created for integration of strategic capabilities through the merger of space, cyber, and EW domains and is going to be the nodal agency for the conduct of information’s wars. There will be two major sub- organisations under PLASSF. These are mentioned as follows: • Space Systems Department (SSD): Space operations • Network Systems Department (NSD): Cyber and EW operations He elaborated on China’s space architecture and military space capabilities and their launch centres. Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre has one launch pad and looks after China’s LEO satellites which are of meteorological and scientific usage. It is also used for testing Ballistic Missiles. Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre has three launch pads and looks after China’s LEO satellites (ISR). Also, this centre is used for testing Ballistic Missiles and Human Space Flight Missions. Xichang Satellite Launch Centre is used for GEO satellites (communication) and Lunar Orbiting Probe Launches. The DF-21 ASAT test in 2007 was conducted from this centre. China’s TT & C (Tracking, Telemetry & Command) centres include the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Centre (BACC) 32 Securing the Future Battlespace which is used for space flight testing and manned space missions. It also has control over land-based TT & C stations and four ship- based stations. China’s TT & C centres abroad are located in Sweden, Pakistan, Argentina, Chile, Namibia, Kenya, and Australia. They also have four TT & C ships deployed in the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean Region, etc. He then compared the Chinese launch vehicles and their respective payloads which it can carry, satellite constellations of military significance which have remote sensing / Electronic Signals Intelligence (ELINT) capabilities, navigation, communication, EW, weather, and experimental functions. Satellites of the Yaogan ISR Constellation Series are more relevant as far as the Military is concerned. They were launched in 2006 and are owned by the PLA. Other ISR Satellites are Ludikancha Weixing (LKW) Satellites, New Yaogan-30 Theatre ELINT Constellation, Gaofen Satellite, Jilin Satellites, Shijian Satellites, and Tongxin Jishu Shiyan (TJS) EW Satellites. Beidou Satellite Systems had it’s evolution in year 2000 when it just covered China with three satellites to it’s present day evolution when it covers complete Asia with 35 satellites. Global Navigation Constellations in which Galileo is the best as of now is with 40 satellites and precision accuracy of 1 metre for public and 1 centimetre for the Military, whereas Beidou constellation is at 35 satellites and delivers a precision of 10 metre for the public and 10 centimetre for the Military. India’s Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) provides 10-20 metre of precision with a range of 1,500 kilometre. Satellite Communications (SATCOM), China’s first geo-stationary communication satellite, was launched in 1984. SATCOM is the backbone of China’s Anti Access/Area Denial (A2AD) strategy. It also has a mix of civil and military satellites to meet PLA’s SATCOM requirements. He highlighted China’s Military Space Strategy in which he mentioned about China’s Defense White Paper (2002, 2016, and 2019). China’s strategy has gradually evolved with the realisation that dominance in space is vital for winning wars. PLA doctrines are being aligned to “winning information wars”. China’s Military space strategy is in four spheres. These are as follows: Detailed Report 33

• A2AD • Counter Space Programme • Ballistic Missile Defence • Regional Power Projection He concluded his presentation by highlighting the Chinese strategic thought of commanding the height of strategic competition in space. China’s rapid growth and success in space are attributable to political patronage and national vision to meet the requirements of winning local wars under informationised conditions. Strides made by China in space and counter-space capabilities pose a potential threat to India’s space assets and national security.

Sub-Theme 3: Space Domain: Vulnerabilities and Way Ahead by Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Senior Fellow, ORF

Space Domain: Vulnerabilities and Way Ahead by Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan Dr. Rajeshwari in her opening remarks mentioned the emergence of new players in the space domain of more than 80 active players 34 Securing the Future Battlespace and that the government is not the only player in this field anymore. She highlighted that there are more commercial players including educational institutions, launching satellites now. This may lead to over-crowding and congestion leading to space traffic management and orbital debris as bigger challenges. She said that the international regimes need to lay emphasis on a rule-based order in the space domain for ensuring regional and international security. Unregulated cooperation can perpetuate multiple levels of insecurity affecting regional military balance, as well as, contributing to an arms race between nations. The total number of satellites in orbit until December 2019 was 2,218 of which the US has 1,007, China has 323 and Russia with 164 satellites as major players. She stated that there has been a trend of a proliferation of small satellites in-terms of mini, micro, and nano satellites. There has been the involvement of a large number of state and non-state players which have contributed towards difficulty in the detection of small satellites which is extremely challenging. She elaborated that there also has been a phenomenon of the increased role of private players in non-civilian space which was more of a western phenomenon but today the same is happening in China and India. She said that the private sector launching mixed payloads is going to pose a threat and stated that weaponisation is still a threshold to be crossed but the pace of militarisation has been picking up speed. Also, weaponisation has more threatening consequences for military- balance, as well as, national and international security. Space is no more a domain that is exclusively used for peaceful applications. Several countries are using space for military and security applications. Incidents involving cyber and EW in open space are now a reality. Technologies with peaceful applications such as satellite inspection, refuelling, and repair (on-orbit satellite servicing) or technologies that are used to clean up space junk can also be harmful. New developments are not in a vacuum as there have been global power transitions and it has been shifting the Asian balance of power, including military-balance. Speaking about ASAT capabilities she said that as of now, there have been no weapons in outer space yet ground-based assets still pose a significant threat to assets in Detailed Report 35 outer space. Increasing space debris is a major challenge and is also risking civilian assets. There is the presence of debris larger than 10 centimetre which is more than 21,000 in number and those between 1 and 10 centimetre are approximately 5,00,000, while those smaller than 1 centimetre exceeds 100 million pieces and these pose potential hazards. Intentional attacks using radiofrequency energy to interfere with or jam communications to or from satellites, laser dazzling or blinding causing no permanent physical damage but temporary disruptions and denial of services are a possibility. Kinetic physical operations and capabilities can cause permanent damages, irreversible destruction of a satellite or to ground support infrastructure through force of impact by an object or detonation of a warhead. She underlined the fact that the circumstances have changed today. The states showcase greater incentives / willingness to develop and potentially use the weapons. She also mentioned that there is a greater reliance on space for conventional military operations versus strategic operations compared to the earlier cold war period. Despite the rhetoric of using space for peaceful purposes, every major space player is developing necessary hardware with military characteristics in their space programmes.

Recommendations and Way Forward • There are no effective international regimes in place with clear norms and regulations. Also, there is an urgent need to: – Define and communicate clear boundaries of acceptable behaviour. – Develop norms of responsible behaviour while working for more binding mechanisms. – Need for a more political agreement between countries. • An effective outer space regime should have the following things: – Ensuring the security of space to prevent danger or threat to outer space utility. 36 Securing the Future Battlespace

– Ensuring order and stability such that there is freedom of action in outer space with no adverse effects. – Ensuring sustainability, for peaceful purposes and ensuring outer space remains clean and sustainable. She said that norms of Transparency and Confidence Building Measures(TCBMs) will set new rules that are essential for safe, secure, and continued access to space. This shall set the norms of responsible behaviour as the first step and will draw clear red lines and establish basic parameters of responsible behaviour in outer space for states. Measures that can be taken are no testing/deployment of space weapons in outer space and non-interference with peaceful activities of other states In her concluding remarks, she spoke about time for concerted action because space is truly a global domain and one state’s action can affect a large number of states. Also, she pointed out the fact that debris does not make a differentiation between different space objects. Emphasis is on the cross-domain nature of space and cyber. The states need to invest in regional and global efforts to understand these environments on a real-time basis. There is a need to move past political differences to develop a space regime with TCBMs, Group of Government Experts (GGE), Certificate of Conformity (CoC), legal, framework etc. She also called for an inclusive process to bring all the different stakeholders to talk to each other and sort out their differences which are to be developed through an inclusive process to ensure greater acceptability and compliance, contribute to the longevity of instruments and finally, ensure the participation of the new and upcoming nations in the space domain. CENTRE FOR LAND WARFARE STUDIES, NEW DELHI SEMINAR ON SECURING THE FUTURE BATTLESPACE: INFORMATION AND SPACE WARFARE DECEMBER 21, 2019 AT MANEKSHAW CENTRE, DELHI CANTONMENT

PROGRAMME

08:30-09:00h Tea and Registration 09:00-10:00h Inaugural Session and Book Release Opening Remarks by Lieutenant General (Dr.) VK Ahluwalia, PVSM, AVSM**, YSM, VSM (Retd), Director CLAWS Keynote Address by Lieutenant General Raj Shukla, YSM, SM, DG PP Special Address by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road, Transport, and Highways, Shipping and MSME Special Address by Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha Special Address by General VP Malik, PVSM, AVSM (Retd), Former COAS Book Release: Future of Land Warfare: Beyond the Horizon, Editor: Major General (Dr.) PK Chakravorty, VSM (Retd) 10:00-10:30h Tea Break 10:30-12:00h SESSION I: Information Warfare: Converged Operations and Vulnerabilities (10 minutes for Opening Remarks by Chair: Lieutenant General (Dr.) Chairperson and Rajesh Pant, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), National Cyber 20 minutes for Security Coordinator each Speaker) Information Warfare: An Integrating Domain of Warfare by Lieutenant General Rajeev Sabherwal, AVSM, VSM, SO-in-C Cyber Warfare and Contemporary Challenges to National Security by Shri Alok Joshi, Member NSAB, Ex Chairman NTRO National Strategy to Shape Perceptions and Environment by Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) Interactive Session 38 Programme

12:00-13:30h SESSION II: Space Security (10 minutes for Opening Remarks by Chair Mr. VK Saraswat, Member Chairperson and NITI Aayog 20 minutes for Space Militarisation: National Security and Strategic each Speaker) Perspective by Group Captain Ajay Lele (Retd), Senior Fellow, IDSA China’s Military Space Strategy and Capability Build up by Colonel PS Bath, Army Headquarters Space Domain: Vulnerabilities and Way Ahead by Dr. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Senior Fellow, ORF Interactive Session 13:30-13:35h Closing Remarks by Lieutenant General (Dr.) VK Ahluwalia, PVSM, AVSM**, YSM, VSM (Retd), Director CLAWS 13:35h onwards Lunch and Dispersal Dress: Uniform/Casual Concept note

Introduction We live in an age driven by a breakthrough in technological advancements that are changing the very character of war and how it is going to be fought. Information ascendency in warfare has been a huge force multiplier and its resources are both a weapon and a target. Traditionally, Cyber Warfare and EW have been considered as distinct elements of IW. The emerging convergence between these two disparate fields is now affecting all operations and planning. This convergence embraces even space operations with Electro Magnetic Spectrum (EMS) being the common factor in these domains. Cyberspace and EMS provide means of reliable communication, integration, and synchronisation of operations across all war fighting efforts of the nation. It also provides an effective, inexpensive, and anonymous means for targeting the adversaries. Perceptions are more important than reality and narratives based on manipulated perceptions if not controlled timely can prove to be highly dangerous. IW also includes psychological operations for shaping perceptions by various means one of which is social media- enabled influence operations on target population to elicit a desired response for achieving the strategic objectives. Several countries are now setting up cyber commands to formulate strategies to deal with emerging threats in cyberspace. Rapidly evolving technologies, use of cyber warfare and forays into realms of space have enhanced the capabilities of how the nation can exercise its will to meet the security challenges. Space-based capabilities are now an integral part of national security and their protection, therefore, is of critical importance. In the last few years, military operations have demonstrated the significance of space technology for military purposes. The use of outer space for military functions like reconnaissance, communication, and navigation has reached a certain amount of maturity since such usage does not directly violate any international laws. Cheaper space assets, private investments, and innovative applications such 40 Securing the Future Battlespace as constellations are leading to overcrowding in space and spectrum- sharing concerns. With the growing significance of C4I2SR, the character of modern warfare is gradually transforming in synch with the emerging requirements in the battlefield of Net Centric Warfare (NCW). Satellites remain pivotal to further enhancing net centricity and warfighting capabilities at strategic, operational, and tactical levels. Against this backdrop, the CLAWS organised a Seminar on “Securing the Future Battlespace: Information and Space Warfare”. This half-day Seminar was divided into two sessions of “Information Warfare” and “Space Security”. Due to the sensitive nature of the topics being discussed, the Seminar was a closed-door session where all discussions from reputed speakers were conducted under the Chatham House rules.

Objectives of the Seminar The Seminar debated multiple issues related to “Securing of the Future Battle Space Through Information Warfare” including the Space Domain. The issues were deliberated upon in two sessions focussed on specific aspects to generate recommendations that would assist in enhancing national security and exercise of the national will.

Session 1: Information Warfare: Converged Operations and Vulnerabilities In this Session, the following subjects were addressed: (a) Information Warfare: Evolution as an Integrated Domain of Warfare (b) Cyber Warfare and Contemporary Challenges to National Security (c) National Strategy to Shape Perceptions and Environment

Session 2: Space Security. This Session discussed how technologies would shape the future space environment. The following issues were addressed by the speakers: Concept Note 41

(a) Space Militarisation: National Security and Strategic Perspective (b) China’s Military Space Strategy and Capability Build up (c) Space Domain: Vulnerabilities and Way Ahead

Key Intended Takeaways (a) How IW has emerged as an integrating domain of warfare encompassing Cyber and EMS. Examine the operational impact of their interplay and convergence for capability development in the Indian context. (b) Identify challenges of cyber-enabled operations with recommendations for threat mitigation to national critical civil and military infrastructure. (c) Having a well-developed national communication strategy for better and faster response to any situation. Its purpose and aim with respect to shaping perceptions and environment. (d) Recommendations for the exploitation of space domain towards the advancement of national security and anticipated future warfighting requirements.

The two sessions, while short in duration, were aimed at providing a platform for debate and discussion in the areas of Information and Space Warfare which are vital in meeting national security aspirations and for power projection.

For any queries/clarifications, please contact: Colonel Neeraj Trivedi Email: [email protected]