Silent wars is not a new terminology in the art of warfare. “Tushnimyudhha” (meaning silent war) was a strategy elucidated in the Arthashastra of Kautilya. However, recent conflicts have demonstrated that silent wars are the preferred form of warfare when dealing with a matching or superior force. Even advanced countries resort to this form of escalatory warfare to contain their adversaries. Grey Zone warfare, Low-Intensity Conflict (LIC), and many such categories all refer to waging sub-threshold wars against an adversary. Silent war encompasses many facets, such as cyber warfare, economic warfare, information war, proxy war, and internal conflicts sparked by covert actions of governments and non-state actors. The covert actions take full advantage of existing fault lines in a society and political divides. Narratives are built to further deepen these fault lines, aiming to divide a nation. A uniquely diverse nation like India is particularly vulnerable to such exploitation.
Silent Warfare is a vast canvas; this paper will focus on Cyber Warfare and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domains of Silent Wars. The terms Silent Wars and No War No Peace will be used interchangeably herein.
China has successfully prevented full-scale conventional warfare by employing a strategy based on Sun Tzu’s philosophy of “Win without Fighting”. It utilises the full spectrum of methods while adhering to a sacrosanct rule: not crossing the threshold of overt military conflict. The primary aim is to achieve expansionist objectives and increase its influence in the realms of economics, trade, and technology across the globe. China realised that hard power and technological superiority were critical to dictating an adversary’s response in a conflict. To bridge the gap with the technologically superior Western world, China adopted a strategy of exploiting their overdependence on technology—primarily computers and cyber systems.
Under this strategy, China has not only substantially bridged the technology gap with the West but also developed superior cyber-attack capabilities to target an adversary’s critical information technology (IT) infrastructure. This partially negated the impact of Western technological superiority. A major advantage for China was that since the United States (USA) was the primary target of this strategy, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) emerged as a leader in industrial espionage and cyber-attacks.
Pakistan has similarly pursued a strategy of a thousand-year war with India. Since no country can withstand a prolonged conventional war, Pakistan adopted the ”Bleed India with a Thousand Cuts” doctrine—a low-intensity conflict waged militarily, diplomatically, and economically over an extended period without provoking international intervention. It keeps the threshold just below the defined threshold of aggression. Unfortunately, due to vested interests of global powers, this issue remains unaddressed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) or the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). This capability gives the PRC a significant advantage in waging silent wars. Pakistan and the PRC are likely to collaborate in waging Silent Wars against India with impunity.
India’s Silent Warfare
India has long been aware of cyber threats, but until recently, cyberspace was not prioritised. With finance, economics, messaging, and retail markets shifting entirely online, digitization has become the underbelly of Indian civil and military operations. India, which initially focused on cyber defence, has now been compelled to develop offensive cyber capabilities. The integration of AI and cyberspace has further compounded cyber threats, merging the two into an inseparable whole. This convergence also presents India with opportunities to weaponise cyberspace.
The covert actions take full advantage of existing fault lines in a society and political divides. Narratives are built to further deepen these fault lines with an aim to divide a nation. A uniquely diverse nation like India is particularly vulnerable to such exploitation. In silent wars, he who controls the narrative is the victor
Social media enables instantaneous dissemination of messages and multimedia. The widespread use of internet-enabled mobile devices among Indian adults makes them a prime target. Cyber operations blur the lines with psychological warfare. India must protect its Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) while controlling the narrative, perception, and public trust. Narratives—both national and international—are the first battleground in cyberspace, with impact far outweighing cost. In silent wars, victory belongs to those who control the narrative. Narrative scripting is orchestrated by highly specialised state and non-state actors who wield significant influence over public trust. Unregulated web media, fake news, and propaganda directly erode public trust. The power of social media was evident during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Article 370 protests. The Government of India’s withdrawal of farm laws was influenced by sentiment and narrative manipulation. The IT cells of Indian political parties effectively leverage these tools to wage silent wars against one another. Social media and narrative manipulation thrive under the guise of Freedom of Speech, so long as posts avoid inciting riots or unrest.
Cyber Space and Phases of Silent Wars
Phase 1: Cyber Space Exploitation in Peace Time: There are no friends or enemies in cyberspace exploitation. Every nation—without exception—and its law enforcement and intelligence agencies monitor cyberspace for threats. Even licensing for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure includes provisions for metadata access by authorities. The PRISM program of the National Security Agency (NSA), USA, along with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and the ongoing case against whistleblower Edward Snowden remain fresh in memory. Only Russian citizenship saved Snowden from extradition to the USA. Under FISA, even close allies like German Chancellor Angela Merkel was placed under surveillance.
When social media platforms promised end-to-end encryption, the Trump administration mandated visa applicants to declare social media accounts and switch settings from private to public—justified under USA-specific Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) laws. The lack of global consensus on DPDP laws in an interconnected world creates opportunities for Cyberspace exploitation to one’s own advantage.
Phase 2: Cyber Space Exploitation in No War No Peace: This phase targets current and potential adversaries. The scale of cyber tools deployed depends on the adversary’s threat potential and capabilities. The focus expands beyond sentiment management to identifying vulnerabilities in technology, processes, procedures, and personnel. The entire cyber domain is scanned for entry points, psychological weaknesses, and intellectual gaps. A comprehensive spectrum analysis of Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA)—military and non-military—is conducted and recorded. Non-contact exercises at tactical, operational, and strategic levels refine strategies for exploiting enemy vulnerabilities and formulating contingency plans. This phase also includes capability development and the force structuring of cyber warriors. However, in Counter-Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism (CI/CT) or low-intensity conflicts (LICs)—as seen in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and parts of Northeast India—Phases 1, 2, and controlled Phase 3 are implemented.
India must not only protect the critical information infrastructure but also remain in control of the narrative, perception, and public trust. Narrative, both national and international, is the first step into cyberspace. Its impact surpasses the cost by miles. IT cells of Indian political parties are effectively using these soft tools to wage silent wars on each other
Phase 3: Cyber Space Exploitation in Limited Conflict: This adopts a whole-of-nation approach, mobilising government, private, and expert resources to safeguard the Cyber Radio Frequency (RF) domain. All autonomous assets—Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), ICT, Information Warfare (IW), Electronic Warfare (EW), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), NSA, National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), etc.—are deployed in conflict zones. Global-scale perception management, narrative control, and sentiment shaping are executed. Full-scale war remains a last resort, reserved for existential threats.
Organising Silent War in Cyber and AI Space
Having outlined the phases of cyberspace in silent wars, the following force structuring is recommended:
(a) ISR entities: Develop systems and AI tools for land, sea, air, and space operations, capable of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).
(b) Information Warfare (IW) entities: Serve as influencers in propaganda and outreach across military and national defence domains.
(c) Unconventional Operations Infantry Brigade Group: Comprising Special Covert Operation Forces.
(d) Electronic Warfare (EW) units: Operate across the full electromagnetic (EM) spectrum to protect and exploit India’s EM domain while providing Communication Information Support to combat divisions.
(e) Joint Cyber RF (Cyber and Electro Magnetic Activities): Integrated at the Higher National Defence Organisation level.
Global-scale perception management, narrative control, and sentiment shaping are executed. Full-scale war remains a last resort, reserved for existential threats
Takeaways
Not every flare-up is as it appears. Containment at sub-threshold levels is advisable, with a clear escalation matrix. India has exemplified this approach. Parallels can be drawn between statements by Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs) and US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth after the 22 June 2025 B2 strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. In both cases, the initial escalation targeted terror/nuclear infrastructure—not military or civilians. India’s textbook sub-threshold warfare was later politicised, overshadowing its strategic restraint. A wise adversary provides an escape route to weaker opponents; misinterpreting this as weakness is a tactical error.
A weaker opponent’s potent weapon is silent war—bleed by a thousand cuts. To counter this, India must respond in kind while maintaining escalation control. Operation Sindoor exemplified this finesse.
-The writer possesses over 37 years of hands-on experience in military operations, including Electronic Warfare (EW), Tactical C3I integration, ASCON, NFS, JCES/HQ IDS, and Cyber Security. Post retirement he continues to be associated with MESH MANETS, AI, Deep Technology and Asymmetric Encryption solutions. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
