Abstract
Over the past three decades, warfare has shifted from technology-centric conventional operations to multidimensional conflict. While various conceptual frameworks attempt to explain this transformation, their overall evolution and interrelations require systematic examination. This article evaluates twelve major warfare frameworks, tracking their progression from the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) to the 2026 Socio-Technical-Cognitive Battlespace (STCB). Using a comparative analysis, each framework is assessed based on conceptual originality, comprehensiveness, empirical grounding, doctrinal adoption, academic influence, and future relevance – particularly regarding India’s theaterisation efforts. The findings reveal a clear intellectual shift from hardware-heavy systems towards paradigms emphasizing information, cyber capabilities, AI, societal resilience, and cognitive influence. Ultimately, the STCB framework emerges as the most comprehensive synthesis, bringing these dimensions into a unified understanding of modern conflict. It unifies military, technological, societal, and cognitive dimensions, making it an essential tool for 21st-century strategic planning and defense doctrine. Future warfare will be decided by how well we integrate military, technological, societal and cognitive power.
