Forces release joint doctrines for cyberspace, amphibious operations

NEW DELHI: The armed forces have come up with new joint doctrines for cyberspace and amphibious operations , with the former especially emerging as a key element of non-contact warfare, blurring the demarcation between war and peace.

The "declassified versions" of the doctrines were released during a meeting chaired by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan with the three Service chiefs, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, General Upendra Dwivedi and Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, here on Thursday.

Cyberspace operations have become critical in modern-day warfare, especially in the backdrop of China developing potent cyber warfare and cyber espionage capabilities.

"The armed forces are conscious of the pursuits in the cyberspace domain by our adversaries, including software and hardware initiatives, which are indicative of the increased threats of aggressive cyberspace exploitation," the CDS said, in the doctrine's foreword.

"Operations in cyberspace can be equated to manoeuvre warfare, where speed and agility are of utmost importance... The armed forces, through a collaborative whole of nation approach, will befittingly respond to and face the challenges posed by our adversaries in cyberspace," he added.

The doctrine outlines a unified approach to defend national cyberspace intere-sts, integrating offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.