Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar, superannuated after four decades of service in the Corps of Signals (Indian Army) in 2016. A graduate of the prestigious National Defence College, as a defence officer he has the unique distinction of holding a doctoral degree in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay as also being honoured with their Distinguished Alumnus Award. He has commanded a wide range of units and formations, and has provided cyberspace operations and electronic warfare support in conventional as well as counterinsurgency conflict scenarios. In his last assignment as Commandant Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, he provided significant impetus to conceptual studies and training in technologies influencing 21st Century warfare, with special focus on cyber skill development. An independent researcher now, his primary area of interest is technology driven future warfare, with special focus on Network Centric Warfare, Information Operations, and emerging Disruptive Military Technologies including Artificial Intelligence.
[Proceedings] IEEE INFOCOM '92: The Conference on Computer Communications, 1992
Broadcast protocols are closely linked with point-to-point shortest routing in computer networks,... more Broadcast protocols are closely linked with point-to-point shortest routing in computer networks, and for broadcasting certain identified information, such as topological changes across the network. Multi-address messages entail high overheads. Reliable and efficient broadcasts are required to properly utilize the network bandwidth and ensure that users update the identified important information. It is assumed that local topological information in terms
The first article of this four part series dwelt upon and clarified the terminologies, concepts a... more The first article of this four part series dwelt upon and clarified the terminologies, concepts and doctrines which would underpin the evolution of effective and viable IW structures for any armed forces. In this second article, the areas of convergence as well as differences amongst CO, EW and Psy W components of IW are first brought out. Thereafter, some considerations which determine the manner in which these capabilities are operationally deployed in an integrated manner are discussed.
The primary focus of this four-part series is to suggest Information Warfare for the Indian Armed... more The primary focus of this four-part series is to suggest Information Warfare for the Indian Armed Forces which are effective enough to match up to the challenges of 21st Century warfare. This analysis takes cognizance of the fact that there is deep resistance to change within any military hierarchy, despite the radical changes taking place in modern warfare concepts. Therefore, a transformational – as opposed to a (preferred) revolutionary – approach is adopted towards achieving the desired capabilities. In this first part, an attempt is made to dwell upon and clarify the terminologies, concepts and doctrines which are taken as the basis for proposing effective and viable IW structures for the Indian Armed Forces.
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) are currently the subject of a global debate, particularl... more Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) are currently the subject of a global debate, particularly at the UN, over ethical, moral and legal aspects related to their deployment in future wars. Human rights groups are advocating a pre-emptive ban on their development on the grounds that deployment of LAWS would be in violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This is the final article in a three-piece series focusing on issues which are at the heart of this ongoing debate. The previous two write-ups dwelt on the unique characteristics of LAWS, analysed different positions on their purported violation of IHL, and discussed various nuances of Autonomy and Unpredictability. This piece will examine the important notion of Meaningful Human Control (MHC), and also bring out how employment of LAWS may in fact lead to saving of human lives. The pros and cons of a pre-emptive ban on LAWS vis-à-vis a binding regulation on their development will also be discussed.
AI-powered weapon systems are soon expected to acquire the capability to “select and kill” target... more AI-powered weapon systems are soon expected to acquire the capability to “select and kill” targets without human intervention. Such systems are widely referred to as Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), sensationally dubbed as “killer robots”. A raging debate is on globally, particularly at the UN, over the ethical, moral and legal aspects of deploying LAWS in future wars, with human rights groups advocating a pre-emptive ban on their development. This is the second of three articles in a series which discusses issues which are at the heart of this ongoing debate. The first article discussed the unique characteristics of LAWS, and why these are viewed as being in violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This piece begins with an analysis of whether or not LAWS actually violate IHL principles against the backdrop of three typical warfighting scenarios. It goes on to discuss some noteworthy nuances of Autonomy in LAWS, the intriguing feature of Unpredictability in AI-powered systems, and the need for caution while attempting to make the critical “select and engage” function autonomous.
Increasing levels of autonomy are being incorporated in AI-powered weapon systems on the modern b... more Increasing levels of autonomy are being incorporated in AI-powered weapon systems on the modern battlefield, which are soon expected to acquire the capability to “select and kill” targets without human intervention. Such systems are widely referred to as Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), sensationally dubbed as “killer robots”. As a reaction to these developments a raging debate is on globally, particularly at the UN, over the ethical, moral and legal aspects of deploying fully autonomous weapon systems in future wars. Human rights groups are advocating a pre-emptive ban on their development on the grounds that employment of LAWS would be in violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This work, comprising of three articles, discusses issues which are at the heart of this ongoing debate. In this first article, a brief tour is given of relevant literature on the subject, the unique characteristics of LAWS, and why these are viewed as being in violation of IHL.
This is the second of a two-part article which focuses on development and fielding of LAWS agains... more This is the second of a two-part article which focuses on development and fielding of LAWS against the backdrop of rapid advances in the field of AI. Here, international as well as Indian perspectives are given out on the current status and future prospects for development and deployment of LAWS. This part reviews the status of AI technology in India, assesses the current capability of the Indian Army (IA) to adapt to this technology, and suggest steps which need to be taken on priority to ensure that Indian defence forces keep pace with other advanced armies in the race to usher in a new AI-triggered Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA).
An important element of China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), the Digital Silk Road (DSR) is a co... more An important element of China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), the Digital Silk Road (DSR) is a comprehensive response to the Third Offset Strategy of the US and aims to establish China as a global technological superpower. Although projected by the Chinese Government as a global development project, the real objectives of the BRI and its components such as the DSR are essentially geopolitical in nature. The e-commerce aspect of the DSR strategy aims to increase the economic inter-dependence between China and participating states, and leverage these dependencies for achieving the status of an economic superpower. China’s promotion of cyber-sovereignty as the preferred model of cyber governance facilitates the furtherance of its authoritarian ideology among participating states. Indeed, the DSR is one of the more potent elements of China’s BRI in pursuit of its strategic objective of replacing the United States as the dominant world power. Although India has resisted the BRI and refused to participate in the physical infrastructure projects, it has unwittingly become a participant in the DSR initiative, thus exposing itself to the associated vulnerabilities. This work analysis the various features and pitfalls of China’s DSR and its national security implications for India.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies hold great promise for facilitating military decisions,... more Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies hold great promise for facilitating military decisions, minimizing human causalities and enhancing the combat potential of forces. This is especially true in a wartime environment, when data availability is high, decision periods are short, and decision effectiveness is an absolute necessity. This two-part article focuses on development and fielding of LAWS against the backdrop of rapid advances in the field of AI, and its relevance to the Indian security scenario. This first part reviews the status of AI technology, gives a broad overview of the possible military applications of this technology and brings out the main legal and ethical issues involved in the current ongoing debate on development of LAWS.
This three part series on cyberspace governance in India seeks to analyse whether our existing or... more This three part series on cyberspace governance in India seeks to analyse whether our existing organisational structures are adequately optimised to address the new challenges emerging in cyberspace, which is fast proving to be a daunting new domain of conflict amongst nations. The first two parts analysed cyber threats and cyber defence strategies, reviewed our existing cyberspace governance architecture and studied global practices adopted by the more agile nations for protecting their respective national cyberspaces. This concluding part proposes several transformative changes to our cyberspace organisational structures as well as to our HRD policies. It is felt that these changes must be implemented on priority if we are to shield ourselves from strategic threats which are imminent in cyberspace in this era of modern warfare.
With cyberspace having emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations, the more agile nations... more With cyberspace having emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations, the more agile nations have brought about transformative changes in their cyber defence organisations. This three-part series analyses the important issue of cyber governance in India. The first part identified different types of cyber threats from the perspective of organising for cyberspace defence and discussed several cyber defence strategies which are relevant in the Indian context. This part first takes a look at our existing cyberspace governance architecture and analyses its shortcomings. It then reviews global practices for protecting national cyberspaces with a view to proposing suitable modifications for best addressing the national security challenges which we are being confronted with as a consequence of ever increasing conflicts in cyberspace.
Over the last decade or so, cyberspace has emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations. In... more Over the last decade or so, cyberspace has emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations. In order to address this challenge, the more agile nations have brought about transformative changes in their cyber defence organisations. In India, the two main agencies tasked with the defence of our National Cyberspace are the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), and the Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-In). It needs to be analysed whether or not such an arrangement is the right apex structure for the defence of our cyberspace. This three-part series analyses the important issue of cyber governance in India. In this first part, a notional model of our National Cyberspace is first presented. It then identifies the different types of cyber threats from the perspective of organising for cyberspace defence and discusses several cyber defence strategies which are relevant in our context.
Cyberwar can no longer be brushed off as fantasy or “hype” and is very much a phenomenon in the r... more Cyberwar can no longer be brushed off as fantasy or “hype” and is very much a phenomenon in the realm of reality. Indeed, several instances of cyber-attacks have already taken place which lend themselves to be classified as acts of cyberwar at the national strategic level. Thus, it is imperative that necessary steps be taken to secure our national cyberspace on a war footing, even as initiatives to usher in Digital India are being taken forward in right earnest. It would not be far off the mark to state that the focus so far in India has been on cyber-crime, hactivism and industrial cyber espionage, while state-level cyber warfare, offensive and defensive, has not received the consideration it deserves. There is an urgent need, therefore, to conceptualizing the right strategy and doctrine for defending our national cyberspace. This piece attempts to discuss this critical issue at some length.
The dimensions of warfare have evolved over the centuries from Land and Sea to encompass Air and ... more The dimensions of warfare have evolved over the centuries from Land and Sea to encompass Air and Outer Space in the 20th Century. With the heavy dependence on networks in the 21st Century, Cyberspace is emerging as an increasingly contested domain, with critical importance for the projection of military force. In the first part of this two-piece write-up, the emergence of Cyberspace as an operational domain of warfare, as well as the types and classifications of cyber-attacks/ cyberwar were discussed. In this part, some real-world examples of cyberwar over the past decade will be described, and certain doctrinal aspects related to offensive cyberwar strategies as well as some legal implications of conducting cyberwar will be dwelt upon.
The dimensions of warfare have evolved over the centuries from Land and Sea to encompass Air and ... more The dimensions of warfare have evolved over the centuries from Land and Sea to encompass Air and Outer Space in the 20th Century. With the heavy dependence on networks in the 21st Century, Cyberspace is emerging as an increasingly contested domain, with critical importance for the projection of military force. Here, in a two-piece write-up, we discuss the emergence of Cyberspace as an operational domain of warfare, deliberate on types and classifications of cyber-attacks/ cyberwar, briefly describe some real-world examples of cyberwar over the past decade, and finally dwell upon certain doctrinal aspects related to offensive cyberwar strategies as well as some legal implications of conducting cyberwar.
Information Warfare (IW) is expected to play an increasingly dominant role in twenty first centur... more Information Warfare (IW) is expected to play an increasingly dominant role in twenty first century conflict, wherein military superiority is a composite function of combat, electronic and information superiority. Various armies are continuously evolving their concepts, doctrines and roadmaps for operationalising IW concepts. This two-part write-up attempts to introduce the concept of IW/ Information Operations (IO). Here in Part II of the write-up, some well-accepted IW taxonomies are first given out, followed by a brief overview of the notion of Information Superiority. Finally, some comments are made on the status of IW in the Indian context.
While networks and information management are central to the concept of Network Centric Warfare (... more While networks and information management are central to the concept of Network Centric Warfare (NCW), it is important to emphasize that NCW is essentially a Command & Control concept. Further, NCW is also related to the notions of Self-Synchronisation of forces, “Power to the Edge”, Effects Based Operations (EBO) and the concept of Agility. All of these are various facets of how command & control is effected on the battlefield. In this write-up, these ideas are stitched together and discussed.
In an earlier two-part write up on “The Changing Nature of Warfare”, it was brought out how, over... more In an earlier two-part write up on “The Changing Nature of Warfare”, it was brought out how, over the centuries, warfare has undergone significant transformation due to new discoveries and innovative application of technologies, and how these inventions and discoveries have resulted in dramatic changes in military doctrine as well as operational and organisational concepts. In another post titled “21st Century Warfare: From ‘Battlefield’ to ‘Battlespace’,” the complex nature of the “arena” in which 21st century warfare is conducted, was examined. In this piece, an attempt is made to analyse the concept of Network Centric Warfare (NCW) as it relates to warfighting and battlespace concepts which have been discussed earlier.
[Proceedings] IEEE INFOCOM '92: The Conference on Computer Communications, 1992
Broadcast protocols are closely linked with point-to-point shortest routing in computer networks,... more Broadcast protocols are closely linked with point-to-point shortest routing in computer networks, and for broadcasting certain identified information, such as topological changes across the network. Multi-address messages entail high overheads. Reliable and efficient broadcasts are required to properly utilize the network bandwidth and ensure that users update the identified important information. It is assumed that local topological information in terms
The first article of this four part series dwelt upon and clarified the terminologies, concepts a... more The first article of this four part series dwelt upon and clarified the terminologies, concepts and doctrines which would underpin the evolution of effective and viable IW structures for any armed forces. In this second article, the areas of convergence as well as differences amongst CO, EW and Psy W components of IW are first brought out. Thereafter, some considerations which determine the manner in which these capabilities are operationally deployed in an integrated manner are discussed.
The primary focus of this four-part series is to suggest Information Warfare for the Indian Armed... more The primary focus of this four-part series is to suggest Information Warfare for the Indian Armed Forces which are effective enough to match up to the challenges of 21st Century warfare. This analysis takes cognizance of the fact that there is deep resistance to change within any military hierarchy, despite the radical changes taking place in modern warfare concepts. Therefore, a transformational – as opposed to a (preferred) revolutionary – approach is adopted towards achieving the desired capabilities. In this first part, an attempt is made to dwell upon and clarify the terminologies, concepts and doctrines which are taken as the basis for proposing effective and viable IW structures for the Indian Armed Forces.
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) are currently the subject of a global debate, particularl... more Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) are currently the subject of a global debate, particularly at the UN, over ethical, moral and legal aspects related to their deployment in future wars. Human rights groups are advocating a pre-emptive ban on their development on the grounds that deployment of LAWS would be in violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This is the final article in a three-piece series focusing on issues which are at the heart of this ongoing debate. The previous two write-ups dwelt on the unique characteristics of LAWS, analysed different positions on their purported violation of IHL, and discussed various nuances of Autonomy and Unpredictability. This piece will examine the important notion of Meaningful Human Control (MHC), and also bring out how employment of LAWS may in fact lead to saving of human lives. The pros and cons of a pre-emptive ban on LAWS vis-à-vis a binding regulation on their development will also be discussed.
AI-powered weapon systems are soon expected to acquire the capability to “select and kill” target... more AI-powered weapon systems are soon expected to acquire the capability to “select and kill” targets without human intervention. Such systems are widely referred to as Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), sensationally dubbed as “killer robots”. A raging debate is on globally, particularly at the UN, over the ethical, moral and legal aspects of deploying LAWS in future wars, with human rights groups advocating a pre-emptive ban on their development. This is the second of three articles in a series which discusses issues which are at the heart of this ongoing debate. The first article discussed the unique characteristics of LAWS, and why these are viewed as being in violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This piece begins with an analysis of whether or not LAWS actually violate IHL principles against the backdrop of three typical warfighting scenarios. It goes on to discuss some noteworthy nuances of Autonomy in LAWS, the intriguing feature of Unpredictability in AI-powered systems, and the need for caution while attempting to make the critical “select and engage” function autonomous.
Increasing levels of autonomy are being incorporated in AI-powered weapon systems on the modern b... more Increasing levels of autonomy are being incorporated in AI-powered weapon systems on the modern battlefield, which are soon expected to acquire the capability to “select and kill” targets without human intervention. Such systems are widely referred to as Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), sensationally dubbed as “killer robots”. As a reaction to these developments a raging debate is on globally, particularly at the UN, over the ethical, moral and legal aspects of deploying fully autonomous weapon systems in future wars. Human rights groups are advocating a pre-emptive ban on their development on the grounds that employment of LAWS would be in violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This work, comprising of three articles, discusses issues which are at the heart of this ongoing debate. In this first article, a brief tour is given of relevant literature on the subject, the unique characteristics of LAWS, and why these are viewed as being in violation of IHL.
This is the second of a two-part article which focuses on development and fielding of LAWS agains... more This is the second of a two-part article which focuses on development and fielding of LAWS against the backdrop of rapid advances in the field of AI. Here, international as well as Indian perspectives are given out on the current status and future prospects for development and deployment of LAWS. This part reviews the status of AI technology in India, assesses the current capability of the Indian Army (IA) to adapt to this technology, and suggest steps which need to be taken on priority to ensure that Indian defence forces keep pace with other advanced armies in the race to usher in a new AI-triggered Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA).
An important element of China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), the Digital Silk Road (DSR) is a co... more An important element of China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), the Digital Silk Road (DSR) is a comprehensive response to the Third Offset Strategy of the US and aims to establish China as a global technological superpower. Although projected by the Chinese Government as a global development project, the real objectives of the BRI and its components such as the DSR are essentially geopolitical in nature. The e-commerce aspect of the DSR strategy aims to increase the economic inter-dependence between China and participating states, and leverage these dependencies for achieving the status of an economic superpower. China’s promotion of cyber-sovereignty as the preferred model of cyber governance facilitates the furtherance of its authoritarian ideology among participating states. Indeed, the DSR is one of the more potent elements of China’s BRI in pursuit of its strategic objective of replacing the United States as the dominant world power. Although India has resisted the BRI and refused to participate in the physical infrastructure projects, it has unwittingly become a participant in the DSR initiative, thus exposing itself to the associated vulnerabilities. This work analysis the various features and pitfalls of China’s DSR and its national security implications for India.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies hold great promise for facilitating military decisions,... more Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies hold great promise for facilitating military decisions, minimizing human causalities and enhancing the combat potential of forces. This is especially true in a wartime environment, when data availability is high, decision periods are short, and decision effectiveness is an absolute necessity. This two-part article focuses on development and fielding of LAWS against the backdrop of rapid advances in the field of AI, and its relevance to the Indian security scenario. This first part reviews the status of AI technology, gives a broad overview of the possible military applications of this technology and brings out the main legal and ethical issues involved in the current ongoing debate on development of LAWS.
This three part series on cyberspace governance in India seeks to analyse whether our existing or... more This three part series on cyberspace governance in India seeks to analyse whether our existing organisational structures are adequately optimised to address the new challenges emerging in cyberspace, which is fast proving to be a daunting new domain of conflict amongst nations. The first two parts analysed cyber threats and cyber defence strategies, reviewed our existing cyberspace governance architecture and studied global practices adopted by the more agile nations for protecting their respective national cyberspaces. This concluding part proposes several transformative changes to our cyberspace organisational structures as well as to our HRD policies. It is felt that these changes must be implemented on priority if we are to shield ourselves from strategic threats which are imminent in cyberspace in this era of modern warfare.
With cyberspace having emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations, the more agile nations... more With cyberspace having emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations, the more agile nations have brought about transformative changes in their cyber defence organisations. This three-part series analyses the important issue of cyber governance in India. The first part identified different types of cyber threats from the perspective of organising for cyberspace defence and discussed several cyber defence strategies which are relevant in the Indian context. This part first takes a look at our existing cyberspace governance architecture and analyses its shortcomings. It then reviews global practices for protecting national cyberspaces with a view to proposing suitable modifications for best addressing the national security challenges which we are being confronted with as a consequence of ever increasing conflicts in cyberspace.
Over the last decade or so, cyberspace has emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations. In... more Over the last decade or so, cyberspace has emerged as a new arena of conflict between nations. In order to address this challenge, the more agile nations have brought about transformative changes in their cyber defence organisations. In India, the two main agencies tasked with the defence of our National Cyberspace are the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), and the Computer Emergency Response Team – India (CERT-In). It needs to be analysed whether or not such an arrangement is the right apex structure for the defence of our cyberspace. This three-part series analyses the important issue of cyber governance in India. In this first part, a notional model of our National Cyberspace is first presented. It then identifies the different types of cyber threats from the perspective of organising for cyberspace defence and discusses several cyber defence strategies which are relevant in our context.
Cyberwar can no longer be brushed off as fantasy or “hype” and is very much a phenomenon in the r... more Cyberwar can no longer be brushed off as fantasy or “hype” and is very much a phenomenon in the realm of reality. Indeed, several instances of cyber-attacks have already taken place which lend themselves to be classified as acts of cyberwar at the national strategic level. Thus, it is imperative that necessary steps be taken to secure our national cyberspace on a war footing, even as initiatives to usher in Digital India are being taken forward in right earnest. It would not be far off the mark to state that the focus so far in India has been on cyber-crime, hactivism and industrial cyber espionage, while state-level cyber warfare, offensive and defensive, has not received the consideration it deserves. There is an urgent need, therefore, to conceptualizing the right strategy and doctrine for defending our national cyberspace. This piece attempts to discuss this critical issue at some length.
The dimensions of warfare have evolved over the centuries from Land and Sea to encompass Air and ... more The dimensions of warfare have evolved over the centuries from Land and Sea to encompass Air and Outer Space in the 20th Century. With the heavy dependence on networks in the 21st Century, Cyberspace is emerging as an increasingly contested domain, with critical importance for the projection of military force. In the first part of this two-piece write-up, the emergence of Cyberspace as an operational domain of warfare, as well as the types and classifications of cyber-attacks/ cyberwar were discussed. In this part, some real-world examples of cyberwar over the past decade will be described, and certain doctrinal aspects related to offensive cyberwar strategies as well as some legal implications of conducting cyberwar will be dwelt upon.
The dimensions of warfare have evolved over the centuries from Land and Sea to encompass Air and ... more The dimensions of warfare have evolved over the centuries from Land and Sea to encompass Air and Outer Space in the 20th Century. With the heavy dependence on networks in the 21st Century, Cyberspace is emerging as an increasingly contested domain, with critical importance for the projection of military force. Here, in a two-piece write-up, we discuss the emergence of Cyberspace as an operational domain of warfare, deliberate on types and classifications of cyber-attacks/ cyberwar, briefly describe some real-world examples of cyberwar over the past decade, and finally dwell upon certain doctrinal aspects related to offensive cyberwar strategies as well as some legal implications of conducting cyberwar.
Information Warfare (IW) is expected to play an increasingly dominant role in twenty first centur... more Information Warfare (IW) is expected to play an increasingly dominant role in twenty first century conflict, wherein military superiority is a composite function of combat, electronic and information superiority. Various armies are continuously evolving their concepts, doctrines and roadmaps for operationalising IW concepts. This two-part write-up attempts to introduce the concept of IW/ Information Operations (IO). Here in Part II of the write-up, some well-accepted IW taxonomies are first given out, followed by a brief overview of the notion of Information Superiority. Finally, some comments are made on the status of IW in the Indian context.
While networks and information management are central to the concept of Network Centric Warfare (... more While networks and information management are central to the concept of Network Centric Warfare (NCW), it is important to emphasize that NCW is essentially a Command & Control concept. Further, NCW is also related to the notions of Self-Synchronisation of forces, “Power to the Edge”, Effects Based Operations (EBO) and the concept of Agility. All of these are various facets of how command & control is effected on the battlefield. In this write-up, these ideas are stitched together and discussed.
In an earlier two-part write up on “The Changing Nature of Warfare”, it was brought out how, over... more In an earlier two-part write up on “The Changing Nature of Warfare”, it was brought out how, over the centuries, warfare has undergone significant transformation due to new discoveries and innovative application of technologies, and how these inventions and discoveries have resulted in dramatic changes in military doctrine as well as operational and organisational concepts. In another post titled “21st Century Warfare: From ‘Battlefield’ to ‘Battlespace’,” the complex nature of the “arena” in which 21st century warfare is conducted, was examined. In this piece, an attempt is made to analyse the concept of Network Centric Warfare (NCW) as it relates to warfighting and battlespace concepts which have been discussed earlier.
In this episode of Def Talks by Aadi Achint on YouTube, Aadi Achint analyses with Lt Gen (Dr) R S... more In this episode of Def Talks by Aadi Achint on YouTube, Aadi Achint analyses with Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar the degree of effectiveness of Russian cyberspace operations assessed so far in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The conversation first sets up the backdrop by listing out the different facets of conflicts in cyberspace. Thereafter, in an attempt to understand why the world was expecting crippling attacks by Russia through cyberspace in this conflict, an overview is given about Russia’s cyber organizations and its offensive cyberspace capabilities demonstrated globally over the years. Next, noteworthy cyberattacks carried by Russia against Ukraine since 2013 are listed, before detailing the cyber effects known to have been achieved by Russia so far in the ongoing conflict. The stiff resistance put up by Ukraine, by setting up an ad hoc IT Army with support from across the globe, is then discussed. Narrative wars over the broadcast and social media platforms are also touched upon. The discussion wraps up with an attempt to analyze the reasons why Russian cyberattacks in this conflict do not appear to have been as effective as expected, with the caveat that the full picture would be clear only once the fog of cyberwar is lifted.
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Papers by Lt Gen (Dr) R S Panwar
https://futurewars.rspanwar.net/unkraine-conflict-fascinating-operations-in-cyberspace/