From Op Sindoor to Urgent Fury, how network warfare has changed the way conflicts are fought

From Op Sindoor to Urgent Fury, how network warfare has changed the way conflicts are being fought Network-centric warfare is reshaping how wars are fought and won today. India faces significant security challenges across multiple domains simultaneously. Existing Indian defense networks like AFNET and DCN are crucial for integration. These systems enable faster battlefield decisions and shared operational pictures. Companies are actively developing capabilities for this evolving warfare. Well entrenched in the information age, network-centric warfare is changing the way wars are fought. At its core, network-centric warfare is about gathering and turning information into a battlefield advantage. This is done by connecting sensors, commanders and weapons into a single digital fabric that lets forces see, decide, act and strike faster than an adversary can react. Rather than relying on the rigid hierarchies associated with militaries, the new paradigm flattens command structures, linking soldiers, smart weapons, command centres and platforms across land, air, sea and space into one shared communication network, stretching from army headquarters down to the individual soldier on the ground.The nature of combat itself is evolving alongside this shift. Small drones have fundamentally changed how soldiers operate on the battlefield, acting as what one recent analysis called "bombs with eyes," capable of spotting, tracking and striking troops from considerable distances. This has forced a rethink in tactics, with soldiers increasingly prioritising concealment over holding ground, and a growing recognition that counter-drone technology, lasers, microwave weapons, interceptor drones, and anti-drone rifles need to extend down to individual soldier-level protection, not just larger area defences. End of Article