'Armed Forces Ready For Operation Sindoor 2.0 If Required': Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, said on Saturday (May 30) that the armed forces are prepared for Operation Sindoor 2.0 if required and that all three branches are working in coordination towards preparing themselves against any conflict in the future.Speaking to the press conference on the sidelines of the passing out parade ceremony of the 150th batch of the National Defence Academy, he added that while there was a temporary halt to fighting currently, all three wings were fully prepared for whatever might happen next.“As far as Operation Sindoor is concerned, firstly, it is still continuing. There is a temporary cessation of hostilities. So the Indian Army and all the three services are preparing well for Operation Sindoor 2.0 if it takes

place,” he said.India launched Operation Sindoor, a military exercise to destroy terror infrastructure in Pakistan in May 2025, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives in April.Future Warfare Beyond Traditional BattlefieldsHe noted that modern warfare will not be limited to land, sea, and air warfare, but will increasingly involve domains like space, cyber, and cognitive warfare.Observing the increased transparency of contemporary battlefields, he pointed out that military planners need to show increased caution in their deployments and protective measures for forces.“What we have observed over time is that today’s battlefield is under constant surveillance. Every movement is visible to the other side. Therefore, we must be extremely careful about our deployment strategies, operational employment, and the measures needed to safeguard both our troops and civilians living in border regions,” he said.General Dwivedi, on the lessons drawn from the use of information warfare in Operation Sindoor, emphasized that trust and unity of the citizens would continue to be important issues in any future warfare."Victory is won first in the mind, not on the battlefield. Information warfare can only succeed when the entire nation stands together and has faith in those providing the information,” he said.“When that trust exists among all stakeholders, I can assure you that such a nation will always emerge victorious,” the Army Chief added.Operation Sindoor Reflects India's DeterminationThe Army chief stated that the Operation Sindoor brought out the resolve of India and the ability of its armed forces to mount a timely, accurate and targeted response.“The operation highlighted the importance of integrated planning, real-time intelligence, precision strikes, robust air defence, secure communications, and seamless coordination across multiple domains,” he said.Stressing on the efforts taken for transformation, General Dwivedi stated that the Indian Army is undergoing a transformation into a future-proof force during the 'Decade of Transformation', and with the help of the young generation.The general stressed on the setting up of drone battalions, Divyastra batteries, Shaktiman regiments, Bhairav battalions and similar formations due to technological advancements.The general stated that the next major milestone would be network centricity and data orientation in which the data becomes the decisive factor.Coming to drones and indigenously made weapon systems, he reiterated his vision of an "Eagle on the Arm". He stated that “every soldier should effectively have an eagle in their hands. In other words, every soldier must be capable of operating a drone. Training programmes and simulators are already being incorporated into our academies and institutions".On theatreisation of the Indian Army, Gen Dwivedi said that the pending process of theatreisation has moved in the right direction and discussion among the Chiefs of Staff Committee has been completed, and a report has been sent to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for approval.According to him, the suggested process will take care of the key issues and interest of all three services. According to the proposed process, chiefs of the services would be raising, training and sustaining the forces, whereas theatre commanders would look after their operational utilisation and coordination.“We are optimistic that the new structure under the incoming CDS will carry this process forward, and within the next two to three years, we should begin to see its implementation on the ground,” he said.In the previous section, while addressing the passing-out parade ceremony of the NDA’s 150th course at Khadakwasla, General Dwivedi had pointed out that Operation Sindoor set a standard when it came to demonstrating the resolve of the country.“From contested grey zones to high-speed hybrid warfare, today’s security environment demands personnel who can think clearly and act decisively,” he said.“Operation Sindoor demonstrated exactly that, setting a benchmark for how Bharat responds to provocation through precision and resolve. That standard is now yours to uphold", he addedAs General Dwivedi pointed out, the ceremony was indeed a very personal moment for him, since he himself passed out of the same quarterdeck more than four decades ago.“Today, as I stand before you at the latter stage of a life in uniform, preparing to remove mine while you prepare to wear yours, I can say with certainty that what begins here stays with you forever,” he said.(With PTI Inputs)