Global order in flux, India must be ready for full spectrum of conflict, says CDS Gen Anil Chauhan

Global order in flux, India must be ready for full spectrum of conflict, says CDS Gen Anil Chauhan

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Monday said the global security environment is in a state of flux, as the world transitions between two competing international orders.

Speaking at a programme organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in New Delhi, Chauhan noted that the shifting position of the United States is adding an extra layer of complexity to this evolving landscape.

Delivering the keynote address on India's Evolving National Security Landscape at the launch of the ORF Foreign Policy Survey 2024, Gen. Chauhan said the idea of national security must extend beyond traditional military considerations. He emphasised the need to integrate economic resilience and social cohesion into the security architecture.

"A resilient and dynamic economy is the bedrock of national power. It ensures stable growth and sustainable development,” he said, highlighting the increasingly critical link between economic policy and strategic planning.

Chauhan also stressed the importance of internal stability, especially for a country as diverse as India. “For a multilingual, multiethnic, and multireligious country, internal security is very important. It must be an intrinsic part of any social security architecture,” he added.

#WATCH | Delhi: CDS Gen Anil Chauhan says, "The global security situation today is in a state of flux. The world is transitioning between two orders. Amid this chaos, the U.S. stance adds to an additional layer of complexity, which we are all aware. So the other important part,… pic.twitter.com/Plxy2ggkTd

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2025

Addressing strategic threats from India’s western neighbour, the CDS cited Operation Sindoor as a defining moment in India’s military posture.

Calling it the only known instance of direct conflict between two nuclear-armed states, Chauhan said the operation underscored India’s resolve in the face of nuclear brinkmanship. “India has made it clear that it will not be deterred by any nuclear blackmail,” he said.

Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam. Indian forces targeted terror infrastructure across the Line of Control in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), and subsequently repelled Pakistani retaliation while striking its airbases.

Chauhan warned that modern warfare can escalate rapidly and unpredictably, making it essential for India to be prepared for all levels of conflict—ranging from sub-conventional and conventional threats to nuclear.

“In the spectrum of conflict, nuclear war lies at the extreme end. But my understanding is that nuclear weapons are meant for deterrence, not for warfighting,” he said. “The evolving challenge is to build capabilities across the entire threat spectrum.”