The United Service Institution of India was founded in 1870 by a soldier scholar, Colonel (later Major General) Sir Charles MacGregor. The story of its growth is the story of the growth of the Indian Armed Forces. It was founded for ‘furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the Defence Services.’
Information has been used as an instrument of warfare by warring states and adversaries since ages. States have formulated military plans based on critical information of the enemy and have influenced the opponent’s tactics in the battlefield by disinformation. Strategic thinkers have emphasized the necessity of ‘information’, ‘knowledge’ (intelligence) and ‘situational awareness’ in their seminal works. Information Warfare (IW) has transformed from ‘word of mouth’ in ancient wars to various forms in modern conflicts with the development of technology and evolving warfighting concepts/ doctrines. IW today is an integral part of any military operation in single/ multi domain, Grey Zone and Hybrid Warfares. Information based warfare is also waged in political, economic and social arenas by states/ state sponsored elements; and is currently applicable over the entire national security spectrum during peace and wartime conditions. The world is witnessing increased application of non-kinetic means and weaponisation of cyber and media (as part of IW) in support of military operations/ for strategic communication. On one hand, the digital revolution, proliferation of IT and networks, and ‘system of systems’ have improved the decision support systems; while on the other, the vulnerability of such systems to cyber warfare has also increased. The ongoing conflicts namely Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas and Israel-Hezbollah; and aggressions (by China in SCS) have witnessed IW of various forms. This unique research will focus on analysing the effectiveness of cyber and media warfare (as part of IW) in support of military strategy/ operations and for strategic communication in the ongoing conflicts and aggression. Various IW/ Information Operations perspectives, IW examples from contemporary history, and specific strategy/ techniques, technology and tools used as part of cyber/ media warfare will also be examined to finally draw relevant lessons for the Indian Armed Forces.