A strategic warfare framework developed by two Indian Army veterans has received international recognition after it was cited at least 10 times in a NATO-funded European publication examining hybrid warfare, artificial intelligence and cognitive operations.
Former Army chief General VK Singh praised the work of Lt Gen DS Hooda (Retd) and Lt Col Pavithran Rajan (Retd), calling the recognition a “landmark achievement for Indian strategic thought”.
The chapter discusses the OODA loop, meaning Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. The concept describes the process through which commanders understand a situation and decide how to respond. The study examines how cognitive operations can interfere with an opponent’s decision-making process rather than simply trying to make decisions faster.
What cognitive warfare means and why AI matters
In simple terms, the framework says an adversary may try to weaken a country without first defeating its military. Manipulating information can damage public trust and make government decision-making harder during a crisis. The framework was subsequently cited in Hybrid War: Threats to Power Grid Infrastructure, a publication produced under the R-GRID project, which receives funding through NATO’s Science for Peace and Security Programme.
