Abstract
The document proposes the establishment of a Military Futures Command (MFC) in India to fuse military and civilian capabilities, ensuring that the armed forces remain future-ready. Currently, global militaries face a modernisation challenge known as the ‘Valley of Death’, wherein promising concepts fail to reach the battlefield. India’s existing defence research and procurement system is overly process-oriented, hierarchical, and operates in disjointed silos, which hinders rapid technological adaptation. After analysing global defence modernisation strategies from the USA, UK, France, Israel, and Russia, a customised Indian adaptation is suggested.
The proposed MFC would operate under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to coordinate research, development, and bulk production through a Whole of Nation Approach (WONA). By structurally integrating private industries, academia, and military expertise, the MFC aims to transition the military to a posture of predictive lethality. Ultimately, the MFC would act as the central nervous system for defence innovation, translating technological advancements into integrated warfighting doctrines to achieve a state of permanent readiness against future threats.
The paper has undertaken a detailed global scan, identified own flaws in the system and then suggested a tailor-made system to give a solution to the stated problem. The brief is an idea which, even if partially implemented, would give rich dividends.
Keywords: Military Futures Command, Military Reforms, R & D Reforms, IDS Organisation, Theaterisation
