Military leadership in the age of AI, IW, Psy War, religious sensitivities and socio-political polarisation: An evolving symbiosis

Military leadership is the bedrock of warfighting. Throughout the ages, it has remained the centrifugal force – providing a structured development of formations, units and sub-units – comprising of men of competence, character and courage and have led them into the battlefield for protecting their collective identities, societies, civilizations and national frontiers.

Such wars required leaders who did not shy away from exhibiting personal valour, showcase moral courage and who had the ability to lead men into the combat zone. It is still very much a military necessity because territorial defence, protection of the civil society, protection of civilizational and religious identity, maintaining political stability and ensuring economic progress continues to consume military men.

While the nature of war continues to remain violent, there is; however, a paradigm shift in the character of war with the revolution in military technology and an unprecedented rise in the application of unconventional warfare techniques. The military forces are at the centre of this debate because the present-day military leaders are operating in a complex web of unconventional warfare environment – comprising of artificial intelligence (AI), information warfare (IW), 24x7 news mediums and perception management practised by them, social media, psychological warfare (Psy War), an unprecedented rise in religious extremism and open advocacy for it, socio-political polarisation and politicisation of military institutions.

These new age warfare methodologies have forced governments and their military forces to remain on a heightened state of alert because they now tend to operate in a constant state of danger of war and massive internal disturbances lurking to destabilise their national frontiers and manufacture internal disturbances. In other words, governments and military forces are operating in a constant state of warfare.

The situation has led the governments and military forces to adopt measures to counter the onslaught of unconventional warfare that is primarily directed at defeating the military institutions from within. While guidelines and standard operating procedures dictates the manner in which the organisations are to be safeguarded. The process, in fact, has modified the leadership role. While the basic nature of military leadership remains the same in the new age of war and warfare, and for the leaders there is no departure from the traditional leadership role, the focus is now more on the cognitive agility and adaptability. In the data- centric, information-driven, resource-hungry, territoriality-oriented and religion-specific security environment, the military leaders are expected to not only perform the role of a strategist, but also be a technologist, sociologist and communicator. The intersection of military forces with various aspects of the process of globalisation and geopolitics, which is firmly rooted in the history of disputes between nations suggest a symbiotic relationship the two have and defines the effectiveness of the latter in the dynamic security environment.

For India – who is at the forefront of the economic globalisation process, experiencing social churning and experiencing technological revolution like never before, finds itself at a crucial juncture of dealing with traditional and new age security threats.

The developments in the international security have a distinct connection with the prevailing conditions in India. For instance, the Islamic identity politics of India corelates itself with the developments in South Asia, Middle East, West Asia and even with the churning happening in Europe. Similarly, Canada has become the hub for anti-India activities affecting the most crucial border state of Punjab. Such religion and ideology-based sentiments can have serious implications on the collective mindset of units and sub-units who form the core of the fighting elements and are mandated to united under any circumstances.

While the civil society gradually absorbs the transitions happening within the country and in the international system, the impact on the military is immediate and profound because the military draw its manpower from the same social fabric that is undergoing transformation. Their values, beliefs, and affiliations are inevitably influenced by the broader political and religious environment around them. For the military leaders, this creates an inherent challenge to ensure that the military remains apolitical, cohesive and secular in its functioning. They are expected to not only remain neutral, but assume a high moral ground – especially in such circumstances, to uphold military ethos.

This is especially true for the Indian military leaders at every level of their institution because the majority of officers and soldiers continue to come from a socio-economic background, who, unlike their predecessors are increasingly exposed to the process of technological and cultural globalisation, and an increased level of divisions between religions, and within castes, class and creed. Adding to the despair is the influence generated by unfiltered social media content where opinions, ideologies and propaganda reverberate – dragging military men in the echo chambers where there is complete absence of counter narrative by the government and the military itself.

As political, religious and social narratives become more pronounced and divisive, there is an increased danger of such feelings percolating to the ranks. This, in view of the technological modernisation the Indian military forces are undergoing, assumes far greater importance because in the world of network-centric operations and precision warfare, a single information leak or sabotage has the ability to compromise not only a particular operation, but the entire war machinery.

For decades, leadership at every level of Indian military institutions has been defined by courage, clarity, discipline, strategic acumen and high moral of every man. This is true even today; however, in the new age of political narratives, information battlespace and religious sensitivities, it is necessary to take a fresh look at the moral compass.

The approach was always top-driven and will always remain so because, despite officers and men continue to come from a particular socio-economic background that has throughout defined their intellect and professional behaviour, in the new age of war and warfare; identities, societies, civilizations and national frontiers are being redefined, and territorial defence has a new meaning to it.

(The views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of CNAWS.)