Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, speaking on 5 September 2025 in Gorakhpur, said India’s unresolved boundary dispute with China is the country’s foremost national-security challenge, with Pakistan’s sustained “proxy war” strategy as the second major threat; he warned that India must prepare for a multi-domain future battlefield where space, cyber and electronic-warfare will be integral, and stressed the need to adapt doctrine and technology to counter nuclear coercion, disinformation and hybrid tactics. Chauhan highlighted Operation Sindoor as an example of India exercising clear operational freedom and inter-service cohesion to counter cross-border terrorism, describing the strikes as a calibrated response that drew a firm red line after the Pahalgam attack and demonstrating how conventional, aerial and precision capabilities will shape future deterrence. His remarks underscored the imperative for strategic readiness, indigenous technological modernization, resilient command-and-control across domains, and sustained attention to both state-level and non-state threats in a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment.