"Battlefield is so transparent that every movement is known to the other side" ::: Why Army chief Gen Dwivedi spoke about 'readiness' for Operation Sindoor-2

The armed forces are fully prepared for ‘Operation Sindoor 2.0’ if the need arises, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi said on Saturday.

He asserted that all three services are enhancing synergy for modern multi-domain warfare that extends beyond land, air and sea.

It was a bigger and perhaps a clearer message for Pakistan. It was a blunt missive to India's western neighbour that if cross-border terrorism continues, India will not show restraint in a future escalation.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the passing-out parade of the 150th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, Gen Dwivedi noted that while a temporary cessation of hostilities currently exists, all three services are preparing intensely for the next phase should it take place.

General Dwivedi also gave a veiled message to a section of India's media and political parties when he said information warfare succeeds only when  it unites the nation behind a common narrative. 

India launched Operation Sindoor, a military exercise to destroy terror infrastructure in Pakistan in May 2025.

This was in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed lives of 26 terrorists in April. 

“As far as Operation Sindoor is concerned, firstly, it is still continuing. There is a temporary cessation of hostilities. So the Indian Army and all three services are preparing well for Operation Sindoor 2.0 if it takes place,” he said. 

He noted that future conflicts would increasingly be influenced by emerging domains such as space, cyber and cognitive warfare.  

Modern battlefields have become highly transparent, General Dwivedi said, adding that military planners must remain cautious about deployments and force protection measures. 

“What we have seen over a period of time is 24/7. 

The battlefield is so transparent that every movement is known to the other side. Therefore, we have to be very cautious in terms of our deployment, in terms of our employment, and the protection which is required to protect our troops as well as the civilians in the border areas,” he said.

The stern message highlights India's military preparedness, indicating that not only the Army but also the Air Force and Navy are ready should a fresh operation become necessary.  

"Jointness and integration are no longer optional -- they are an absolute operational necessity in the modern battlespace. Future conflicts will demand seamless coordination across land, sea, air, cyber, space and information domains," said Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.

According to Admiral Tripathi, no single service can operate effectively in isolation under increasingly complex conditions, making tri-service integration central to India's future defence architecture.

He, however, stressed that theatre commands must be driven by operational effectiveness and enhancement of military capability rather than organisational restructuring alone.

"Regarding a dedicated maritime theatre command, the maritime domain, by its very nature, inherently requires the integrated application of naval, air, land and coast guard capabilities," he said. 

The Navy has also significantly enhanced its anti-submarine warfare capability, underwater surveillance, and network-centric operations to counter emerging maritime challenges posed by the growing China-Pakistan nexus in the Indian Ocean region, said the Navy Chief.

In an exclusive interview to news agency, PTI, Admiral Tripathi said the Navy remains prepared to deal with any "two-front" challenge in the maritime domain and emphasised that ongoing conflicts in West Asia underscore the direct link between maritime security, energy security and economic resilience.  

His remarks come amid the growing presence of China's PLA Navy in the Indian Ocean region and Beijing's deepening maritime cooperation with Pakistan, including the transfer of submarine capabilities and the modernisation of the Pakistani Navy.

"We are fully aware that the Indian Ocean Region is witnessing increasing strategic contestation and greater extra-regional presence, moving us from an 'era of cooperation' into an 'era of intense competition'," he said.  

The Indian Navy is  finalizing a nearly $8 billion deal with Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) to domestically construct six advanced, diesel-electric submarines under Project 75-India (P-75I). 

These submarines will feature state-of-the-art Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems, enabling them to remain submerged for weeks without surfacing.

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