The 19th Anniversary issue of FORCE coincides with the 75th year of India’s independence and the release of Pravin Sawhney’s book The Last War: How AI Will Shape India’s Final Showdown with China. The anniversary issue and the book are likely to be in the stores at the same time. So, it is triple celebration at FORCE.
Instead of being driven by a single theme, the 19th anniversary issue is a medley of different subjects, underlying the twin concerns of threats and preparedness. Given that the government of India has repeatedly flagged internal security and the invisible enemy as matters of grave concern, we have tried to understand where the threat is emanating from, and whether it is worthy of national attention and resources.
The highlight of the issue, however, is the unveiling of The Last War, the first of its kind book in India—it explains in conceptual, technical, technological and operational details the manner in which AI-driven technologies will shape the future wars; and at the same time, makes a very strong case for peace and co-existence. Drawing from his book, Pravin Sawhney has written the lead article for the anniversary special, giving the readers an insight into how a possible future war between India and China is likely to play out.
The other highlight is the exclusive interview with the Chinese ambassador in India Sun Weidong. In a broad sweep, he speaks about India-China relations, the Global Security Initiative announced by President Xi Jinping, Beijing’s distrust of the Quad and the importance of peace and cooperation for mutual prosperity.
In popular perception the manned-unmanned pairing is viewed mostly in the aerial domain despite the fact that the operationalized system on our border right now pertains to ground warfare. In a detailed article, Col Mandeep Singh while writing on the present technology and its potential, underscores the importance of formulating an employment doctrine for the Indian armed forces before any serious investment is made in it.
Then there are articles on indigenous fighter programme, the UN Peacekeeping, and of course, the delivery of INS Vikrant to the Indian Navy. On that note, happy anniversary to us and our readers who have been with us on this 19-year-old journey.