HDMC Participants Visit Rising Star Corps to Study Multi-Domain Warfare and Preparedness

Participants of the Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC) visited the Indian Army’s Rising Star Corps for a professional military interaction centred on the changing operational environment, readiness and ongoing efforts to strengthen capabilities for future conflict.

The engagement gave the course participants a closer look at how an operational formation is assessing its battlefield environment and preparing to meet new demands arising from modern warfare. They were briefed on the operational challenges faced by the Corps and the steps being taken to sustain a high level of preparedness.

The visit also served as a forum for exchange between the HDMC participants and officers of Rising Star Corps. Discussions focused on the complexity of contemporary military operations and the growing need to integrate capabilities across multiple domains rather than rely only on traditional land combat concepts.

Modern warfare today is shaped by the simultaneous use of conventional forces with drones, long-range precision systems, electronic warfare, cyber capabilities, intelligence and surveillance assets, secure communication networks and advanced command-and-control systems. The source material notes that these elements are increasingly defining how military formations prepare for and conduct operations.

As a result, commanders are required to develop a broader understanding of the battlespace and coordinate capabilities that may extend far beyond conventional land warfare. The interaction at Rising Star Corps gave HDMC participants an operational perspective on how such requirements are influencing capability development.

Operational preparedness formed another major part of the discussion. According to the source, maintaining readiness now depends on continuous training, assessment of emerging threats, technological adaptation and the ability to rapidly absorb new capabilities into existing operational structures.

The Indian Army has placed increasing emphasis on technology absorption and capability enhancement as new systems reshape the battlefield. Unmanned systems, counter-drone measures, battlefield surveillance, electronic warfare and network-enabled operations are among the important elements of contemporary preparedness highlighted in the article.

The conversation also touched on the demands of multi-domain operations, which require greater coordination between different military capabilities. In such an environment, land forces may need to work alongside air power, intelligence resources, cyber and electronic warfare elements and other specialised capabilities to achieve operational objectives.

For officers attending a higher defence management programme, exposure to an operational formation helps connect strategic and managerial ideas with the practical realities of military planning and readiness. It allows them to see how commanders balance operational requirements with manpower, technology, logistics, training and resource management while preparing for both current and future threats.

The professional exchange at Rising Star Corps also reflected the wider importance of studying the changing character of warfare. The source notes that recent conflicts around the world have shown how quickly emerging technologies can alter battlefield tactics and operational planning.

That, in turn, means military organisations must remain ready to adapt doctrines, training methods and force structures as new threats and opportunities emerge. The visit offered HDMC participants an opportunity to examine these issues from the standpoint of an operational formation rather than only from a staff or classroom setting.

By engaging with officers of Rising Star Corps, the HDMC participants gained insight into how preparedness and capability development are being aligned with emerging battlefield requirements. The interaction also reinforced the importance of professional military education and operational exposure in shaping future senior leaders.

The visit reflects the Indian Army’s broader effort to prepare officers for increasingly complex operational environments where technology, jointness and multi-domain capabilities are expected to play a more decisive role. Through such engagements, participants of the Higher Defence Management Course are exposed to the practical challenges of contemporary warfare and to the ways in which military capabilities are being integrated for operational effectiveness.

In that sense, the Rising Star Corps visit was not only an exchange of ideas but also a reminder that future commanders will need to understand both the management of military resources and the rapidly changing nature of the battlefield.