Raisina Dialogue | Grey-zone warfare latest entry in lexicon of warfare, says Chief of Defence Staff

Gen. Anil Chauhan makes reference to China’s actions along the Line of Actual Control as well as the South China Sea; Navy chiefs of various countries stress need to work together and share information to counter aggression of some nations

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan. Photo: X/@raisinadialogue

In the lexicon on warfare, “grey-zone” is the latest entry, because of what has happened in the South China Sea and what has happened along our northern borders, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan said on Friday in a reference to China.

Gen. Chauhan said grey-zone warfare is a kind of a military action below a particular threshold that would invite a response. In an oblique reference to China’s actions, both along the Line of Actual Control as well as the South China Sea, Gen. Chauhan said in grey-zone warfare the dividend of the action may be available only after a long time. “To start this, possibly, you will have to have a dispute to be successful in launching this... The origin lies in a historical dispute,” he remarked.

On similar lines, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. John Aquilino, speaking of the exceptional growth in India-U.S. relations said the ability to share information is “like never before” and some of that is based on actions that “occurred on the Indian northern border”.

They were speaking at different sessions on the third day of the Raisina Dialogue jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation.

Stressing on partnerships to preserve the global commons, Adm. Aquilino said U.S. cooperation with all its partners has expanded exponentially over the past three years. “Some of them is based in the environment, the aggressive action of some nations are forcing other nations to come together to ensure we stand for what we believe in. The U.S.-India relationship has certainly grown exponentially,” he said during a panel discussion ‘From the Aegean Sea to the South China Sea: Responding to Maritime Sieges’.

“The capabilities that are co-produced here with India whether it be C-130s, helicopter pieces, munitions, now GE engines and carrier cooperation, those things have exploded in three years. Our ability to share information is like never before. Some of that’s based on actions that occurred on the Indian northern border. The sharing of information to understand that my partner’s forces are at risk, and we are there to help.”

Expanding linkages

This, he said, expands across the globe, whether it be through treaties or other linkages, including the Quad. “Those partnerships have expanded. We do 120 exercises a year in the region,” Adm. Aquilino said.

Earlier this week, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane had acknowledged the possibility that India “may encounter” a similar situation as the 2020 stand-off with China, which he said is “keeping us active all the time”, that “we are standing against a bully in a very determined fashion.” He further acknowledged the quick intelligence support from the U.S., and said the “strong resolve that we support each other in the face of a common threat is going to be of critical importance to us.”

Indian Navy Chief Adm. R. Hari Kumar said in all recent conflicts, be it Israel-Hamas or the Ukraine war, the changing character of warfare is evident and stressed on the need to adapt to the use of modern technologies, which are lately becoming more affordable and accessible.

Stressing on the importance of naval power, Adm. Kumar noted that if there is a large merchant fleet or trade, then there is need for a Navy. In this regard, he noted that today, India is the fifth largest economy and may be before 2030 we will be the third largest economy. “What does it imply? It means we will be importing more, exporting more, doing value addition. And where does this go through? It will all go through the sea. More than 90% of the trade as such will go through the sea. And where we contribute in services for the tourist economy, over 45% of that actually goes through the Internet, through the undersea cables. So a great chunk of the economy will be completely dependent on the sea,” he said.

There is risk at sea, of the need to maintain maritime security and it is going to become more and more challenging, he said adding, that more investment is needed to build assets in preparation. “People say that budget is a challenge. I would say that even if it is under 2% of the GDP, as the GDP grows it is definitely adequate to prepare to meet the challenges,” Adm. Kumar added.

French Navy Chief Adm. Nicolas Vaujour said today most things are contested, notably, the global commons and the sovereignty of states are contested. “All the pillars of the sovereignty of the states are contested — it is financial, it is economic, it is everywhere.”

Echoing similar views, the First Sea Lord and Chief of the U.K. Navy Adm. Sir Ben Key said if people wanted to impose their will on global commons like the sea, the ripples would be felt far and wide. “This is what differentiates the maritime environment from land, and why no navy can cover all of the world at the same time. The interdependencies of one effect are so intertwined that we’re actually obligated to work together.”