Pune, 10 January 2026: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said that Operation Sindoor forced Pakistan to make major changes to its military system, proving that the operation did not go in Islamabad’s favour.
Speaking at the Pune Public Policy Festival 2026 at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Gen Chauhan said Pakistan rushed through constitutional changes and restructured its higher defence leadership after the operation. He said these steps were taken because serious weaknesses were exposed during the conflict.
Pakistan has now scrapped the post of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and replaced it with a Chief of Defence Forces. It has also created new bodies like the National Strategy Command and an Army Rocket Forces Command. According to Gen Chauhan, this has placed too much military power in the hands of one person.
He said this goes against the idea of joint military functioning and reflects Pakistan’s land-focused thinking, which could create internal problems in its armed forces.
Responding to questions about India’s command system, Gen Chauhan clarified that while he does not directly command the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs, he holds overall operational responsibility. As the permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, he said decisions are taken together, ensuring better coordination between the three services
He added that the CDS directly supervises newer areas of warfare such as space, cyber, electromagnetic and cognitive domains, along with special forces under the Integrated Defence Staff.Gen Chauhan said modern warfare is changing fast, with technology becoming more important than geography. In earlier times, wars were shaped by locations and terrain, but today advanced systems, cyber power and space-based tools play a bigger role.
However, he warned that traditional ground battles are still likely along borders with Pakistan and China, and India must be ready for both high-tech and ground-level conflicts
He said India has learned valuable lessons from Operation Sindoor, the Uri surgical strikes, Doklam, Galwan and the Balakot air strike. These missions were carried out using special command structures created for each situation.
Now, India is working towards a standard system of joint theatre commands that can be used in any future conflict. Gen Chauhan said most of the groundwork is already done and expressed confidence that India’s integrated military command structure will be ready before the revised deadline.
