India, May 5 -- For much of modern military history, the logic of warfare was anchored in platforms. The side with superior aircraft, more advanced missile systems, or larger armoured formations held the advantage.

Command structures were hierarchical, information flowed in defined tiers, and combat effectiveness depended on the concentration of force at decisive points.

This model also shaped India's early warfighting doctrines, where platform superiority and force concentration defined operational outcomes across theatres.

That logic is now undergoing a structural shift. Across recent conflicts-from Eastern Europe to West Asia-the decisive advantage is increasingly shaped not by the number of platforms deployed, but by how effectivel...