INTEGRATED DEFENCE STAFF

Chief of Defence Staff

General Anil Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, Chief Of Defence Staff (CDS)

General Anil Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasala. He was commissioned into the Sixth Battalion, the Eleventh Gorkha Rifles in Jun 1981, from IMA, Dehradun. The officer has vast experience in operations across a wide spectrum of conflict and terrain profiles. He commanded an Infantry Battalion, along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir, a Mountain Brigade in Manipur, an Infantry Division in the Kashmir Valley and a Corps in the North East. The General was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command from 01 Sep 2019 to 31 May 2021. Post his retirement from active military service, the General served as a Military Advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) from 20 Oct 2021 to 29 Sep 2022.

General Chauhan's staff and instructional assignments include, Instructional tenure at HQ IMTRAT, Bhutan, Military Observer on a UN Mission to Angola, General Staff Officer 1 (Operations) of the Mountain Division, Director, Perspective & Planning (TAS) at Army HQ, Chief of Staff, HQ 15 Corps and Director General of Discipline Ceremonial & Welfare. He was the Director General of Military Operations during the Balakot Air Strike.

General Anil Chauhan is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Higher Command and National Defence College courses. The officer, during the span of over 40 years of uniformed service has been decorated for distinguished service with the PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM & VSM.

Academically inclined, the General has authored two books namely 'Aftermath of a Nuclear Attack' & 'History of 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre' and has supervised the writing of History of 19 Inf Div. Currently he is working on a book on the Military Geography of Indian Northern Borders. He was awarded M. Phil in Defence Studies from Madras University in 2012.

The General officer assumed the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff on 30 Sep 2022.

In the profession of arms, one has to anticipate conflict, prepare for the right war, strategize, train and when opportunity presents itself- Fight and Fight to Win.

We are also witnessing wars gradually transcending into the new domains of Cyber and Space and Cognitive Domain. It is my belief that wars actually commence in a new domain. Its outcome may be decided in that domain itself and if not, it will majorly influence the outcome in the older domains.

Today, we are at a cusp where a number of technologies seem to be competing with each other to revolutionise warfare.

Progress in technology is both disruptive and linear. Both are occuring at a pace that is unprecedented.

In the profession of arms, one has to anticipate conflict, prepare for the right war, strategize, train and when opportunity presents itself- Fight and Fight to Win.

Warfare, today is at the cusp of the 3rd RMA. Four trends are clearly visible that are revolutionising warfare : Celerity, Autonomous, Data and Transparency Centric Warfare.

Next major war will commence in Space. In case the outcome is not decided in Space, the impact of war in Space will severely affect ops in air, land and maritime domains.