DECODING SIXTH-GENERATION WARFARE IN SOUTH ASIA: LESSONS FROM THE 2025 INDIA-PAKISTAN WAR

Abstract

The technological advances of the 21st century have expanded traditional concepts of war and security. This advancement transforms the concept of war and security that includes a significant element of artificial intelligence or autonomous technologies and systems. It is now considered to be one of six operational domains for warfare, the remaining five being land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. This new realm of confrontation has encouraged states globally to preserve and develop offensive or defensive warfighting capabilities according to their capabilities. The recent four-day war between Pakistan and India exemplifies Sixth Generation Warfare (6GW) with its use of non-contact operations, precision strikes, and electronic warfare (EW). This research analyses the Indo-Pak conflict through the lens of Six Generation Warfare. Through the application of realist and constructivist theories of political science, this article examines how the advanced technologies and strategies of 6GW reshape state behaviour, power dynamics, and regional stability in South Asia.