Recently, the Ministry of Defence released a plan to enhance its nuclear deterrence and drone warfare capabilities. The 15-year strategy, titled Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap (TPCR-2025), outlines steps to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent.

Strategic Themes

• Integrated Deterrence: TPCR-2025 advances a unified approach, combining nuclear resilience, unmanned strike platforms, electronic warfare, and AI-enabled systems.
• Policy Alignment: Aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat, it promotes indigenous production and reduces import dependence.
• Multi-Domain Readiness: It equips India for operations across land, sea, air, cyber, and space, positioning the country as a technologically advanced, self-reliant military power.
• Industry Engagement: The roadmap sets clear priorities for the defence sector, MSMEs, and start-ups to focus on R&D, manufacturing, and innovation.
• Future-Ready Forces: Ensures the armed forces remain technologically competitive, resilient, and capable of addressing emerging threats.

Key Features of TPCR-2025

• Nuclear Deterrence Measures: The roadmap strengthens nuclear command-and-control systems, improves survivability infrastructure, deploys radiation detection tools, mobile decontamination units, and unmanned CBRN reconnaissance vehicles to ensure credible deterrence and second-strike capability.
• Drones & Unmanned Systems: 
  • India will induct stealth drones with a range of 1,500 km and an altitude of 60,000 ft, AI-enabled loitering munitions for precision strikes, and anti-drone electronic warfare systems to counter hostile UAV swarms. 
  • High-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS) and stratospheric airships will support persistent ISR and communication.
• Electronic & Cyber Warfare: Advanced jammers, electronic warfare payloads, information dominance systems, and AI-enabled tools will protect manoeuvre forces, operational decision-making, and command networks. Preparations include strengthening cyber defence and space-based assets.
• Service Modernisation:
  • Army: Introduction of Future Ready Combat Vehicles, light tanks for high-altitude operations, UAV-launched precision-guided munitions, and cyber-hardened communications.
  • Navy: Induction of next-generation destroyers, corvettes, mine vessels, 10 nuclear propulsion systems for aircraft carriers, and a third aircraft carrier with an indigenous Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS).
  • Air Force: Deployment of stratospheric airships, long-range cruise missiles, tactical high-energy laser systems, and hardened precision-guided munitions.
• Information & Electronic Warfare: AI-enabled emitter detection, adaptive jammers, and deepfake detection tools will safeguard operational decision-making and enhance battlefield situational awareness.

Geopolitical & Strategic Implications

• Multi-Domain Readiness: Prepares India for multi-domain warfare in high-intensity conflict scenarios.
• Regional Deterrence: Enhances deterrence vis-à-vis China and Pakistan.
• Naval Strength: Strengthens India’s blue-water naval posture and surveillance over the IOR.
• Technological Edge: Positions India among advanced military powers with AI-enabled and autonomous capabilities.

Challenges and Concerns

• Advanced Technology Development: Developing hypersonic missiles, scramjets, AI platforms, directed-energy weapons, and quantum communication systems requires extensive R&D.
• Operational Costs & Integration: High procurement and maintenance costs, inter-service integration, and training pose significant challenges.
• Cyber & Space Vulnerabilities: Networked platforms, satellites, and AI systems are exposed to cyberattacks and space-based threats.
• Strategic Stability: Modern strike capabilities must not compromise India’s No First Use nuclear doctrine or destabilise regional security.
• Ethical & Legal Compliance: Autonomous and AI-enabled weapons must adhere to international humanitarian law and prevent misuse or unintended escalation.

Way Forward

• Indigenisation & Self-Reliance: Continue prioritising domestic R&D, MSMEs, and start-ups to strengthen homegrown defence technology.
• Multi-Domain Readiness: Ensure integrated operational capability through joint exercises and interoperable systems across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Emerging Technology Investment: Focus on AI, drones, hypersonics, directed-energy weapons, cyber security, and space assets to maintain a strategic edge.
• Cyber & Space Defence: Strengthen infrastructure to protect networked platforms, satellites, and command-and-control systems.
• Strategic Stability: Balance modern strike capabilities with India’s No First Use nuclear doctrine and adherence to international norms.

Conclusion

TPCR-2025 represents a long-term, integrated vision for India’s defence modernisation. By focusing on indigenisation, technological advancement, and joint operational capability, the roadmap aims to position India as a self-reliant, technologically advanced, and credible military power capable of addressing emerging security challenges over the next decade and beyond.

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