Asymmetric War: A Conceptual Understanding

The term asymmetric war is a product of the revolution in military affairs (RMA). It can be taken as fresh jargon to distinguish the modern variant from traditional partisan and guerrilla war conducted by irregular bands using unconventional methods. In short, it is nothing new; only the cosmopolitan veneer is so. Since the Indian Army has vast experience dating to the preindependence period in combating this form of warfare, there is no major cause for concern in being confronted with yet another outbreak of asymmetric warfare within the country or a new Americanism from military schools and think-tanks of a perplexed superpower. While understanding the term asymmetric war, an attempt is made here to see it in the Indian context, and to recommend measures to combat the same.