The third edition of the tri-services Future Warfare Course is scheduled to commence at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi from 02-25 Feb 2026, under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated defence Staff and in partnership with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS). This edition features an enhanced curriculum covering specialized subjects and domain-specific warfare developments in military operations.
The course focuses on developing an erudite understanding on how war fighting is being impacted by technology, necessitating a relook at our thinking, concepts, doctrines, strategies and TTPs. It also caters for deeper exploration of critical topics, practical demonstrations of emerging technologies and visits to institutions of critical importance to the capabilities of the Defence Forces.
The course comprises participants from the three Services, as well as representatives from the defence industry including startups, MSMEs, DPSUs and the private industry. Amongst the Services participants, the seniority of the officers varies from Majors to Major Generals (and their equivalents), with the junior officers bringing their technical flair and expertise and the senior officers their operational experience and strategic knowledge.
The Future warfare course will align operational priorities of the Armed Forces with the capabilities of the indigenous defence industry and enable a free flowing discussion on the various facets of modern and futuristic war fighting. A diverse range of experts including veterans, serving officers, ex-ambassadors, industry experts and academic professionals will ensure that a holistic analysis of India’s security challenges are debated in a threadbare and professional manner.
Additionally, this course features experts in subjects like critical and rare earth elements, supply chain vulnerabilities and regional and global geopolitics impinging on operations in the future, expanding the number of subjects that will need to be studied and analysed by the Defence Forces in order to plan and conduct operations in the future.
Building on the success of the inaugural course held in September 2024, this expanded three-week program aims to realise the vision of the Chief of the Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan to prepare officers for the complex challenges of modern warfare.
