Too early to draw definitive lessons from West Asia conflict: Navy Chief Admiral Tripathi
Bengaluru (PTI): Describing the West Asia war as a critical case study in modern warfare, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi on Thursday said it was too early to draw definitive lessons from the conflict.
Addressing the 'Ran Samvad' forum on "Maritime Forces -- Visualisation of Multi Domain Operation (MDO)", he said the Indian armed forces were closely tracking developments in the West Asia conflict to derive lessons for future operations.
"It is too early to draw definitive lessons. The war is still going on. We are monitoring what is happening, what is working, what is not working, and learning the correct lessons," Admiral Tripathi said during the question-answer session.
The Navy Chief emphasised that one of the most striking takeaways from the conflict is the heightened vulnerability of military assets across domains.
"Battle space transparency today is so high that anything visible, whether moving or stationary, is inherently vulnerable," he said.
He added that while all platforms, land, sea and space, face exposure, subsurface assets retain a relative advantage due to detection challenges.
The conflict has also underscored the importance of resilience, particularly in sustaining supply chains under prolonged hostilities.
Admiral Tripathi further noted that carrier battle groups continue to remain central to maritime power projection, demonstrating their operational effectiveness even in contested environments, while their vulnerability depends on the adversary's capabilities and the balance of offensive and defensive systems.
The Navy chief said the services are analysing the conflict "on a near 24x7 basis" and will incorporate lessons at an appropriate time, stressing that modern warfare now demands constant adaptation to rapidly evolving technological and operational realities.
Emphasising that maritime forces have always operated across multiple domains but now face a far more complex and interconnected battle-space, Admiral Tripathi said the Indian Navy is reorienting its strategy to deliver integrated multi-domain effects in an era defined by speed, scale and simultaneity.
He highlighted the need to align strategic thought with technological capability amid evolving global security challenges and rapid technological advancements.
"Today, there is no fixed system of war, no rigid doctrine that we can blindly rely upon," Admiral Tripathi said.
The Navy Chief noted that ongoing instability in India's extended neighbourhood, particularly tensions in West Asia and disruptions to maritime traffic, underline the interconnected nature of modern security.
He said distance no longer insulates nations from consequences, while technological advances are compressing decision-making timelines and merging operational domains.
Drawing from India's civilisational strategic thought, he said multi-domain operations are not entirely new, citing Kautilya's concept of integrating diplomacy, deception and force.
"The pursuit of national objectives extends beyond any single form or domain of conflict," he observed.
Explaining the evolving maritime battlespace, Tripathi described it as a "dense yet more transparent, layered yet deeply interconnected grid extending from the seabed to space".
He identified three defining attributes shaping this grid -- speed, scale and simultaneity.
On speed, he pointed to artificial intelligence-driven systems that compress decision cycles.
"Speed is no longer merely an enabler of warfare, but a distinct capability," he said, noting that modern systems can process vast datasets and enable precision strikes in significantly reduced timeframes.
At the physical level, the Navy is restructuring its force to be "capable, resilient, and inherently networked", with seamless integration between sensors and shooters across domains, he noted.
Highlighting indigenous capability, Admiral Tripathi said the Navy's combat management system has evolved into a key enabler of multi-domain operations, integrating inputs across domains for faster decision-making and coordinated engagement.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
