Source: TH
Context: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has prioritized the discussion on the Indian armed forces’ readiness to tackle “hybrid warfare,” specifically focusing on non-kinetic warfare.
About Non-Kinetic Warfare:
- Definition:
- Warfare that goes beyond physical combat and involves electronic warfare, cyberattacks, psychological, information, and economic tactics.
- It can include non-military stakeholders and aims to disrupt or cripple a country’s infrastructure or governance.
- Methods Used:
- Cyber warfare: Attacking critical infrastructure like power grids, hospitals, and communication networks.
- Information warfare: Spreading disinformation or controlling the narrative to influence public perception and decision-making.
- Electronic warfare: Jamming or intercepting communication systems.
- Psychological warfare: Manipulating public opinion and morale through fear, misinformation, or propaganda.
- Economic warfare: Disrupting a nation’s economy by targeting financial systems or trade.
- Impact:
- Non-kinetic warfare can be deadlier than traditional combat, as conflicts can be won without physical confrontation.
- A well-coordinated cyber or economic attack can destabilize a nation without the need for conventional military force.
- Examples:
- Russia-Ukraine conflict: Use of cyberattacks and disinformation.
- Israel-Palestine conflict: Psychological and information warfare tactics.
- Lebanon: Use of pager blasts as a form of disruption.
- Counter-Drone Technologies:
- Kinetic options: Shooting down drones physically.
- Non-kinetic options: Jamming, taking control, or using laser and electromagnetic waves to disrupt drone operations.
- Importance for India:
- As non-kinetic warfare becomes a key component of modern conflicts, India’s armed forces must develop both kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities to counter these emerging threats.
Insta links:
