Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director David Howell Petraeus said India needs a new concept of warfare to address a two-front challenge from China and Pakistan, NDTV reported from an Oct. 23 summit.
At the NDTV World Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Petraeus advised Indian security forces to change how they prepare for conflict. He described the challenge involving China and Pakistan as India’s “biggest challenge,” according to NDTV.
Petraeus said armed forces should begin with a broad new approach, then adjust it to the conditions of each theater. He cited Ukraine’s battlefield changes as a source of lessons, while saying those lessons would need to be adapted for places such as the Western Pacific and the Middle East. He noted that conditions could differ across ground, air and high-altitude operations. Past approaches, he said, would fail in future conflicts as adversaries adapt.
He also described broader military use of artificial intelligence as a future possibility. Petraeus said multiple AI agents could eventually work like staff officers, helping commanders monitor reports and search for information. He outlined how AI could help combine radar and acoustic-sensor data into an air-defense picture for aircraft and ballistic missile threats.
