Keywords: Armed Forces, Combat Readiness, Rafale, Symbolism, Regional Power

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”

Leonardo Da Vinci

Introduction

The Rafale sortie by President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces on 29 October, 2025 at Ambala AF Station was not just a ceremonial event but a highly symbolic event showcasing the pride, prestige and power of the Indian Air Force. It was another significant milestone in President Droupadi Murmu’s journey, showcasing her indomitable courage and confidence in IAF’s prowess. It was a testimony to the decisive role played by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Operation Sindoor and a befitting occasion to declare the commencement of Ex Trishul, India’s tri-services training military exercise, on the Gujrat border.

The flight was symbolic because it represented India’s coming of age in its defence capabilities, displays faith in India’s quest for strategic autonomy and, more importantly, reflected the confidence that the Supreme Commander had placed in the nation’s armed forces in general and the IAF in particular. Incidentally, she is the only President to have flown in a fighter aircraft on two occasions, including a Su-30 MKI in 2023.

Ceremony and Substance

While such flights by Heads of State are not unprecedented, for India, it was a full-fledged ceremonial event, keeping with the finest traditions of the armed forces. The Supreme Commander would have experienced what very few heads of state in the world ever do: the immense exhilaration, agility and awe of modern aerial combat— the tip of the spear and the pure joy of fighter flying. There is also a tremendous amount of substance associated with this flight. The flight reflects civilian leadership deeply engaged with the military’s operational arm, bridging the gap between symbolism and substance.

Wide-spread anarchy in the world, narcissistic leadership, sycophancy across Governments and a rapidly changing world order are largely a reflection of the instability prevailing in the world order today.  Casting aside all concerns of a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) world, the President got a unique opportunity to strap up in a fighter and take to the skies to experience the pure and exhilarating joys of flying. The event was not only about optics, it was also a statement highlighting the intricate integration of air power in India’s strategic milieu, reaffirming the nation’s faith in the IAF personnel, who operate these complex machines and ensure the safety of the Indian airspace. It was also a firm and thumping acknowledgement of the IAF’s ‘First Responder’ role in India’s Neighbourhood during both natural and man-made disasters and other contingencies. It was also a reaffirmation of the confidence in IAF’s readiness posture across the entire battle space, transcending all domains.

Symbolism from the Cockpit

For a President to take control of a fighter aircraft, albeit even for a brief period, is a symbolic reaffirmation of civil-military fusion and mutual respect. In a democratic set-up like India, the armed forces operate under civilian control. Yet, such authority gains its moral legitimacy from understanding and empathising with the lives and missions of the men and women in uniform. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil and President Murmu have all flown in a Su-30 MKI earlier, and this sortie marks a first for the Rafale fleet. Dr Zakir Husain (HT-2 basic trainer) and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (HJT-16 Kiran) have flown in trainer aircraft earlier. This sortie is different because the Rafale represents something more contemporary, reflecting India’s rise as a confident regional power capable of holding its own amongst the comity of nations. It shows the world that India’s leadership is not distant from those responsible for its defence and it also reassures Indians that India’s safety and sovereignty is in safe hands.

Operational Readiness and Strategic Messaging

Presently, India faces an ever-increasing complex security environment; from its contested borders, on-going tariff issues and turbulence in the Indo-Pacific region to a volatile and highly polarised world. The President flying in a fighter aircraft drives home a message of reassurance for all Indians and emphasizes India’s credible deterrence capability to the entire world. India needs to be prepared for all contingencies, spanning from short and swift wars to long drawn-out wars. These high-profile ceremonial and symbolic events serve as a huge source of inspiration, not only for all the armed forces personnel but the nation’s ordinary citizens as well. These events also help in reposing faith in the national leadership. The President would have experienced first-hand the professionalism, the extraordinary skills and the courage of the IAF personnel. She would have also witnessed the highly efficient and impeccably maintained Indian Air Force machinery at work, highlighting the professionalism and determination of the IAF personnel.

Air Power and National Prestige

The armed forces of a nation are symbolic of its military prowess and prestige. In recent times, the IAF has been chosen as the preferred ‘instrument for application of force’ during various contingencies on account of its speed, responsiveness, reach, precision and lethality. The President’s sortie is symbolic of IAF’s technological prowess and power projection. IAF has the capabilities and the capacities to deliver a strong and unambiguous statement of India’s resolve for maintaining its territorial integrity and sovereignity. The sortie also highlighted the sterling role played by IAF in nation-building and serving as the first responder in various global crises, over the years. From Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions and peace keeping operations with the United Nations to providing timely aid and succour for victims of natural disasters across the world, IAF has always delivered, on time and on target.

Indian leadership has regularly been flying fighter aircraft, sailing on aircraft carriers and visiting forward areas in the highest battlefields of the world. The same is however not true with India’s adversaries. One has never seen Pakistani leadership taking to the skies, probably due to a lack of confidence and trust in their own armed forces. President Murmu has done it not once but twice!

The Indian armed forces are a symbol of modernity, sovereignty and autonomy, reflecting India’s ability to absorb as well as indigenise advanced technologies. The sortie would also give an impetus to India’s ‘Make in India’ programme, wherein the acquisition of foreign technologies serves as a conduit for future indigenous design, development and manufacturing, not just a mere substitute for it.

The sortie comes at a time when the political rhetoric has been heating up. Encouraged by America’s new found friendship with them, Pakistan has unfortunately once again started nuclear sabre-rattling with renewed vigour. Pakistan has also reportedly started upping the ante in the Sir Creek area, probably emboldened by Chinese support. During such tense and volatile situations, the conduct of military training exercises not only convey the determination but the intent of a nation as well. Ex Trishul-2025, a tri services exercise is aimed at enhancing the operational readiness of the three services through joint planning and integrated application of combat power. The Exercise was scheduled to commence along the International Border, in the Gujrat area from October 30, 2025. It is not just a military training exercise, it is also a statement of India’s resolve, innovation and force-integration.

Conclusion

The Supreme Commander’s sortie in the Rafale aircraft was a reassertion of the President’s confidence in the professionalism and the might of the IAF. The event would be forever enshrined in IAF’s glorious history. The Rafale aircraft is symbolic not just for its technological advancement and fire power, but it is also a metaphor in India’s long and arduous journey for strategic autonomy. The President’s sortie in Ambala also sends the unambiguous message that Indian airspace and sovereignty are inviolable and secure. The IAF air warriors are always ready and willing to take on the adversary.

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Keywords: Joint Cyberspace Doctrine, Cybersecurity, Cyber warfare, Armed Forces

The digital age has significantly transformed conflict, security, and international order. As societies, economies, and militaries become ever more reliant on interconnected digital systems, cyberspace has emerged as a new domain of strategic competition that challenges traditional security paradigms.

The Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare asserts that existing international law applies to cyber operations in the same way it applies to physical warfare. It is a non-binding study that outlines how international law relates to cyber conflicts and cyber warfare. This manual provide guidelines for determining when cyber activities constitute the use of force, armed attack, or violations of sovereignty.[1] In addition, the Budapest Convention is a binding international treaty aimed at combating cybercrime. India is not a signatory to this convention due to concerns over sovereignty, its exclusion from the drafting process, and certain legal and diplomatic reservations.[2] India is signatory to the Bletchley Declaration, which aims to promote international cooperation for the safe and responsible development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and to foster collective action against risks in critical areas like cyberspace and cybersecurity.[3] Additionally, India actively participates in the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) and the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) processes, focussing on responsible state behaviour and cybersecurity within the context of international security. On August 07, 2025, General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs released India’s first declassified joint doctrine for cyberspace operations.[4] [5] This article highlights the necessity of a joint doctrine for the Armed Forces regarding cyberspace operations, as well as its importance and significant impact.

Why Joint Cyberspace Operations Doctrine

Doctrine is essential as it provides the Armed Forces with a shared framework of principles that guide action, reduce operational friction, and maintain unity of effort across diverse missions. It institutionalises experience, turning lessons learnt into authoritative guidance that supports education, command, and organisational change. Beyond the battlefield, modern doctrine also serves as a tool for cultural integration and political communication, ensuring that military actions are coherent, adaptable, and aligned with strategic objectives.[6] Cyber warfare operates in a domain that is borderless, instantaneous, and accessible to a wide array of actors from major powers and rogue states to non-state groups and even individuals.[7] Unlike previous technological revolutions, the rise of cyberspace represents not just an extension of existing forms of conflict, but a fundamental shift in the logic and practice of international relations. When states employ cyber fait accompli to achieve unilateral gains, it becomes crucial to safeguard both military and civil digital infrastructure. The Cyberspace Doctrine is vital for operating jointly and effectively, adapting to ever‑evolving challenges, and employing cyber power with legitimacy and resilience. In addition to providing credible deterrence to adversaries, the doctrine strategically communicates our intent and clarity of operations to the world as we use cyberspace to achieve military objectives and protect our interests in this critical domain.

Essence and Scope of the Joint Cyberspace Doctrine

The Joint Cyberspace Doctrine establishes a unified strategic and operational framework for the Indian Armed Forces, ensuring that the Army, Navy, and Air Force coordinate their cyber capabilities under a common set of principles. The doctrine explains the importance of Cyberspace by highlighting it as a global, shared domain without territorial boundaries, setting it alongside land, sea, air, and space as a medium of full-fledged warfare. Cyberspace operations require rapid, flexible actions such as identifying vulnerabilities, deploying responses, or countering threats with quick decision-making. Unlike conventional battles, cyberspace operations achieve decisive effects such as denial, disruption, degradation, deception, and psychological impact on adversaries without physical violence by crippling networks, sowing confusion, or remotely sabotaging plans. It focuses on gaining and maintaining the initiative. Cyberspace is a domain of perpetual contest, where attackers and defenders constantly seek advantageous positions such as access to networks, data, or information without clear front lines. The doctrine highlights the nexus of civil-military implications, that a cyber-attack on civilian critical infrastructure can have cascading national, strategic, and military repercussions. As cyber networks are intertwined, there is often no clear distinction between civilian and military targets. It underscores the importance of automation, specialised skills, continuous vigilance, and a “living document” approach to demonstrate adaptability in a fast-changing threat environment.

From a technical perspective, the doctrine drives innovation through Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), advanced cryptography, and cyber ranges, directly influencing capability development and cultivating a skilled cyber workforce. On a policy level, it aligns military planning with the national cybersecurity framework and international cyber norms, even while acknowledging the absence of global consensus, and it promotes inter-agency coordination through bodies like the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), and the Cyber Diplomacy Division. Critically, it prepares the Armed Forces to address attribution challenges, proportionality concerns, and persistent threats such as Advanced Persistent Threats (APT), ransomware, and disinformation. Overall, the doctrine’s implementation can enhance India’s cyber resilience, deterrence credibility, and ability to respond swiftly to evolving digital threats, while also shaping India’s role in global cyber governance.

Impact of Cyberspace Doctrine

India’s Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations is the nation’s first-ever formal doctrine dedicated to the cyberspace domain, marking a historic step in integrating cyber power into its national defence strategy. This document is both fundamental and foundational document, crafted in a manner that makes its concepts accessible and understandable to a wide range of audiences, not beyond just specialists in cyber and military fields. It outlines the responsibilities of fighting forces, detailing their roles in safeguarding national cyberspace, by conducting and integrating cyber capabilities across all domains of warfare.  The document also highlights the future requirements in the development of real-time intelligence, resilient infrastructure, advanced indigenous technologies, a skilled cyber workforce, and strong civil-military collaboration. These elements are crucial for ensuring India’s long-term digital sovereignty and security.

The doctrine comprehensively addresses the overlaps among cyberspace, electromagnetic, and information warfare and blending into the other domains of warfare. It amply covers all aspects from physical security to virtual hardening, focused on military cyber operations. It defines the responsibilities of various stakeholders towards the protection of civil and military critical infrastructure, emphasising coordinated efforts, considering the civil-military cross implications. With further detailing of the specific mandates and boundaries in future iterations, this framework could provide even greater clarity and help ensure seamless coordination during crisis scenarios. It amply covers potential capability development, including emerging technologies and policy imperatives. However, explicit guidance on capacity building can help provide the ecosystem with the necessary course corrections for future investments. The HR and skill development aspects have been generalised to meet the training requirements of military personnel. Meanwhile, the basic cyber training at the school or graduation level remains the responsibility of academia. However, expanding the doctrine to incorporate academia, R&D institutions in cyber training, with specific military emphasis, could help bridge the gap between civilian education and defence-specific skill demands. The doctrine is silent on the mechanisms for monitoring insider activities in the cyberspace domain, and a clearer articulation of deterrent measures against such perpetrators is essential to strengthen resilience and avert inimical threats.

In the modern era of conflicts among countries like Israel–Iran, Russia–Ukraine, India–Pakistan, and Israel–Hamas, cyber warfare has been conducted in parallel with kinetic operations, amplifying psychological impact and influencing perceptions, morale, and national decision-making on a strategic scale. Cyber warfare is persistently conducted by states and non-state actors alike, both during the No War No Peace (NWNP) regime and in times of open conflict,[8] resulting in  ongoing contest and exploitation across the cyberspace domain. India’s joint doctrine for cyberspace operations stands as a fundamental guide to safeguard national interests, deter adversaries, and shape global cyber governance.

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Notes

[1] Michael N Schmitt, The Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013).

[2] Pragati Dwivedi, “Convention On Cybercrime In Budapest: Assessment Of India’s Concerns,” Institute of Legal Education, April 27, 2023, https://iledu.in/convention-on-cybercrime-in-budapest-assessment-of-indias-concerns/. Accessed on August 11, 2025.

[3] Government of the United Kingdom, ” The Bletchley Declaration by Countries Attending the AI Safety Summit,” GOV.UK,    February 13, 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-safety-summit-2023-the-bletchley-declaration/the-bletchley-declaration-by-countries-attending-the-ai-safety-summit-1-2-november-2023. Accessed on August 11, 2025.

[4] Press Information Bureau,  Government of India, “CDS Gen Anil Chauhan releases Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations,” Press Release: June 18, 2024,  https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2026240. Accessed on  August 12, 2025.

[5] Integrated Defence Staff, “Doctrines,” https://ids.nic.in/content/doctrines. Accessed August 12, 2025.

[6] Harald Høiback, “What Is Doctrine?,” Journal of Strategic Studies 34, no. 6, 2011 (December), doi:10.1080/01402390.2011.561104. Accessed on August 11, 2025, pp. 879–900.

[7] Lucas Kello, The Virtual Weapon and International Order (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017).

[8] Indian Air Force, “Doctrine of The Indian Air Force,” https://indianairforce.nic.in/Resources/pdf/header/latest-Doctrine-22-Feb.pdf.  Accessed on July 04, 2025.

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