Continuing conflict in the Middle East and the Ukraine war has shown that terminally guided weapons, with deadly lethality, and near perfect kill-probability of beyond visual range (BVR) systems would dominate the future military conflicts. These technology driven weapon systems have gone beyond an era of “non-contact” wars to “invisible wars”.
AI and Robotics are adding new dimensions to the war strategies. Israel has shown as to how communication systems can be breached through AI and blasted in one go. At the click of a remote AI command, all 5000 pagers and walkie talkies used by Hezbollah activists in Lebanon got blasted. More than 879 people, reports say, got killed and some 2700 were injured.
Finding and confirming of location of Hezbollah chief, Hasan Nasrallah by Sonic boom of Jet fighters on 19 September, led to pin-pointed attack on September 27, 2024, where he was killed. This is the new dimension of a future war but in its nascent form.
Robotics will add another dimension to this war when “embryonic soldiers” would replace “human-made soldiers”. Era of “Universal Soldiers”, therefore, would no more be in the realm of science – fiction. Thus, the combined use of Kinetic and Non-Kinetic means would totally change the dimensions of any military conflict. Politico-military objective of the war would not be “Lebensraum” or gaining territory but total annihilation of the enemy. Technology has, thus, made a paradigm shift in the war making strategy.
AI and Robotics are adding new dimensions to the war strategies. Israel has shown as to how communication systems can be breached through AI and blasted in one go
Indications of “Techno Smart wars” has been long coming. When on April 07, 2017, a Syrian Airbase was struck by 59 Tom hawk missiles, fired from two US Aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean Sea. The World saw heralding of “Super Smart War” of the 21st century. It testifies an old military saying that war in every age has its own form, weapons, and dimensions.
Revolutions in Military Affairs (RMA) have drastically changed the concept and nature of war in the 21st century. We are moving away from “soldier-heavy-wars ” to “Techno Smart Wars”. There would be remote controlled weapons zooming across the battlefields with no defined “fronts” and “Rears”. Devastation of Ukrainian cities by Russian missiles and UAVs, speaks volumes about the nature of emerging forms of war.
Undoubtedly, the future military conflicts are going to be techno-smart face-offs, of “Lean and Thin Armies” (LATA) with “Super Smart Soldiers” remotely handling “Super Smart Weapons” of much greater ranges with precision guided accuracy exhibiting deadly lethality. Enhanced Range, deadly lethality and perfect accuracy will lead to the rise of “Techno Smart Soldiers”, who would be far away from the actual scene of physical objectives.
Such Techno-Smart-wars would have no geographical limitation. Targets would not be only men and equipment in Olive green but entire war making potential of your adversary, from unarmed civilians to industrial and economic hubs. Definition of a Combat Zone will include warring nations or a whole group of nations engaged in military conflict.
Robotics will add another dimension to this war when “embryonic soldiers” would replace “human-made soldiers”
“Individualisation” of social systems (breaking up of families) would also have its tell-tale effect on individualisation of combat philosophies. Industrial arena concept of mass production has given way to “De-Massification” of production in a “knowledge society”, driven by technological blast. It would also lead to “De-Massification” of armies and make them lean and thin. As a result, “Customised Soldiers” would dominate the future battle fields. They would be tailor-made to suit the “customised Wars”. And the best example of this is the “Lone Wolf Soldiers” of terrorist organisations.
“Lone wolf attacks” by ISIS has turned the whole world into a Battle Zone. Belgium, France, Germany, UK and recently Sweden have been seen these attacks. Even USA has witnessed this enemy attacking at will at various places in USA. War has thus come at the doorsteps of the common man. Soon these customised soldiers would engulf the whole world.
Drone attacks by USA in Afghanistan and a missile attack, some years back, on a Syrian Airbase have added new dimension to the conduct of the war in the 21st century. They are needed to tackle the “Lone Wolf Factories” run by some nations.
The combined use of Kinetic and Non-Kinetic means would totally change the dimensions of any future military conflict
To fight such an enemy, one needs precision guided weapons with total accuracy to avoid collateral damage. Missiles, drones and WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) are going to play an important role in such a future war, which would be less dependent upon human beings but technology.
The three wings of the armed forces of a nation would have to undergo dynamic changes. Nations, aspiring to be world powers, would have to pay more attention to their Navies. Domination of ocean not only provides alternative launch pads against your adversaries but it also provides flexibility to enhance the range, accuracy, and lethality of your weapon systems. However, emerging regional powers, like India, would have to first develop capabilities to “deny” the freeway to enemy in its own Economic Zone. This would demand more nuclear submarines than Aircraft carriers.
Thereafter IAF has to transform into a “Space Air Force”, (SAF). It would have to be more dependent upon unmanned crafts, such as Missiles or Drones. Air-war would not be dependent upon bombers and fighter aircrafts. In short, the manned aircrafts and “dog battles” in the air will not be preferred mode of space wars. Interceptor missiles such as BARAK and PATRIOT, capable of destroying incoming missiles and drones hundreds of kilometres away will dominate future wars.
Revolutions in Military Affairs (RMA) have drastically changed the concept and nature of war in the 21st century. We are moving away from “soldier-heavy-wars ” to “Techno Smart Wars”
Finally, the land forces, would be more oriented towards sub-conventional warfare (SCW). Role of tanks and artillery guns would be limited to border management of war. Highly mobile but NBC protected mechanised vehicles would replace elephant-like heavy armoured vehicles. In fact, “Heptrised Force”* may replace armoured or mechanised forces.
All this does not mean that infantry would become redundant. You would require it to hold the ground to show occupation. Here, Infantry might get involved in sub-conventional conflicts with defeated enemy. Infantry soldiers must learn to be individualised. Future foot soldiers would be smart soldiers capable of taking on the “Lone wolves”. They will be “customised” to take on “enemy” independently anywhere in the world.
The future military conflicts are going to be techno-smart face-offs, of “Lean and Thin Armies” (LATA) with “Super Smart Soldiers” remotely handling “Super Smart Weapons” of much greater ranges with precision guided accuracy exhibiting deadly lethality
Covert operations would be the highlights of customised wars of the future. To sum it up, Customised Wars of future would need “Customised Smart Soldiers” with “Customised weapon systems”. Gulf wars of 1991 and 2003 gave first glimpses of customised wars. Drone wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had taken the story beyond the Knowledge-era to “Cosmic Age”. Space would be the new Combat Zone.
Note: * The word “Heptrised Force”, created by the writer – distinguishes it from the ground based mobility of “Mechanised Force” to signify the importance of “Air Mobility” for timely intervention in a fast floating battlefield environments.
-An ex-NDA and Wellington Staff College graduate, Col Rajinder Singh is a renowned author and security analyst. He has authored four books, two individually and two in collaboration. His best-selling books are Kashmir – A Different Perspective and The ULFA Insurgency. The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
