Abstract
Contemporary conflict is increasingly characterised by efforts to shape perception, belief and decision-making rather than by application of kinetic force alone. This evolution has foregrounded the cognitive domain of warfare, wherein the human mind becomes a contested battle space. While major powers now acknowledge the strategic significance of this domain—as reflected in recent doctrinal and policy discourse—national security frameworks remain largely organised around military-centric, sectoral and episodic models of response. This paper argues that the challenge posed by cognitive warfare is fundamentally architectural rather than informational or technological in nature. By examining the defining characteristics of cognitive warfare, its operational consequences and the limits of existing security paradigms, the paper highlights a persistent gap between recognition and implementation. Using the Indian context as an illustrative case, it demonstrates how institutional fragmentation, civil–military disconnects, procedural tempo mismatches and societal exposure through open information ecosystems create systemic vulnerabilities. The article reframes cognitive warfare as a structural challenge to national security systems and outlines key design principles—such as integration, continuity, credibility, speed and societal resilience—that logically flows from the nature of the cognitive domain. It concludes by suggesting that addressing cognitive domain threats require rethinking how national security is conceptualised and organised in an era of persistent cognitive contestation.
Keywords: Cognitive Warfare, Cognitive Domain Conflict, National Security Architecture, Strategic Escalation, Decision Making Autonomy, Civil–Military Coordination
