After facing waves of disinformation and cyber intrusions during recent operations, the Indian Army is rethinking its battlefield preparedness. From building cyber ranges and deploying satellites for secure communication to training soldiers against deepfakes and fake news, the military is crafting a multi-pronged strategy to fight tomorrow’s digital wars.
A New Battlefield Beyond Borders
The Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor underscored how cyberattacks and fake news campaigns can follow conventional strikes. During the offensive, the Army targeted nine terror bases across Pakistan and PoK, killing hundreds of militants. In retaliation, Pakistan launched not only digital propaganda but also cyberattacks, flooding networks with doctored images and videos.
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While the disinformation failed to alter ground realities, it revealed the vulnerabilities of modern warfare. Indian security planners now see cyberspace as the extension of the battlefield, demanding new defenses against psychological operations, misinformation, and data breaches.
Training for Cyber Resilience
The Army has proposed dedicated cyber ranges specialized training centers where soldiers learn both to repel and launch digital attacks. Each licensed facility could train up to 200 personnel at a time, simulating real-world intrusions into servers and internet communications. Officials stress that securing satellite links, radio transmissions, and GPS signals during combat is as important as guarding physical borders.
In parallel, new kits are being designed for soldiers on the ground to jam enemy drones, intercept signals, and deceive hostile surveillance systems. The Man-Portable Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) kit, already in development, would allow India’s forces to disrupt enemy communications in real time.
Countering Deepfakes and Disinformation
Perhaps the biggest challenge comes not from missiles but manipulated media. Experts warn that deepfakes hyper-realistic but false videos can erode trust within minutes. The Army is seeking technology capable of detecting such fakes with near-total accuracy, alongside Artificial Intelligence driven tools for real-time analysis of adversary propaganda.
The lessons of Operation Sindoor remain fresh: Pakistan’s attempts to circulate thousands of fake visuals were quickly debunked, but they underscored the dangers of unchecked disinformation. As a result, India is embedding cyber and AI literacy into its military training, preparing its troops for what commanders are calling the “info-war era.”