The Combined Operational Review and Evaluation (CORE) Programme 2026 was an apex strategic review initiative conducted from September 14 to 18, 2026, at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi. Organized by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff in conjunction with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, the high-level programme brought together senior commanders of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force alongside senior administrative leadership from the Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, and Home Affairs. The initiative provided a dedicated forum to evaluate complex national security challenges, analyze shifts in the character of modern warfare, and institutionalize multi-domain operational integration across the Indian military establishment. By establishing a unified, institutionalized forum for strategic review, the armed forces and civil leadership evaluate operational readiness under a unified national command vision.
At the center of CORE 2026 deliberations was the urgent imperative for jointness and integration among the three armed services, advancing India's structural transition toward unified Theatre Commands. Drawing critical tactical and strategic insights from recent global conflicts, the review assessed how modern warfare has evolved beyond traditional kinetic battlefield clashes into hybrid contests defined by precision strike capabilities, loitering munitions, autonomous drone swarms, and space-based real-time reconnaissance. Senior participants examined operational readiness along sensitive northern and western frontiers, evaluating automated border surveillance grids, high-altitude logistics networks, and long-range precision fires. Discussions emphasized that modern conflict scenarios demand integrated air defense systems, decentralized drone countermeasures, and robust logistics infrastructure capable of sustaining extended operations in difficult Himalayan terrain.
A major focus of the programme was the integration of emerging disruptive technologies, including military applications of artificial intelligence, automated target recognition, and quantum-encrypted communications. The forum dedicated extensive sessions to non-kinetic battlegrounds, assessing strategic communications, cyber resilience for critical national infrastructure, and protective countermeasures against state-sponsored cognitive warfare and digital disinformation. Recognizing that future warfare spans beyond geographical battlefields, the participants highlighted the vital necessity of securing domestic digital networks and protecting industrial control systems against foreign state-sponsored cyber disruptions. By uniting military commanders with civilian diplomatic and internal security authorities, CORE 2026 reinforced civil-military synergy, ensuring that India's strategic defense planning remains cohesive, agile, and capable of addressing simultaneous multi-front threats in a contested geopolitical environment.
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The Combined Operational Review and Evaluation (CORE) Programme 2026 was a high-level apex strategic forum conducted from September 14 to 18, 2026, at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi.
The programme was organized by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and executed by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS).
CORE 2026 was instituted to provide a joint platform for senior military officers and civilian bureaucrats to evaluate multi-domain security challenges facing India.
The forum brought together senior leadership from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, and senior officials from the Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, and Home Affairs.
A primary focus of the programme was operationalizing 'jointness' and integration across the three armed services, advancing India's transition toward integrated theatre commands.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Service Chiefs led strategic sessions assessing geopolitical shifts, two-front conflict dynamics, and regional proxy threats.
Deliberations analyzed lessons from contemporary international conflicts, specifically the changing character of warfare driven by asymmetric tactics, cheap drones, and precision-guided munitions.
The programme dedicated specialized working groups to assess emerging disruptive technologies (EDTs), including Artificial Intelligence, robotics, autonomous swarm drones, and quantum computing.
Discussions addressed non-kinetic warfare domains, focusing on psychological operations, state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, and cognitive warfare aimed at domestic institutions.
Cyber and electronic warfare capabilities were reviewed to protect critical national infrastructure (CNI) and secure military command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) networks.
The institutional framework evaluated the Defence Cyber Agency (DCyA), Defence Space Agency (DSA), and Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD) established following the Naresh Chandra Committee and Kargil Review recommendations.
Civil-military synergy was prioritized to bridge bureaucratic silos between operational military planners and diplomatic or intelligence policymakers during escalating crises.
The forum examined border security dynamics along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC), reviewing high-altitude logistics and dual-use infrastructure development.
Supply chain vulnerabilities and raw material dependencies for strategic defence production were scrutinized to accelerate domestic defence self-reliance.
The programme assessed space-based ISR assets, anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities, and the integration of GSAT-7 series dedicated military communication satellites.
Maritime domain awareness across vital maritime choke points, including the Strait of Malacca, Bab-el-Mandeb, and Strait of Hormuz, was assessed in coordination with naval command.
The forum reviewed the integration of deep-tech startups and academia through the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative to accelerate battlefield tech induction.
Counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), directed energy weapons (DEWs), and hypersonic missile detection systems formed a critical part of future combat capability discussions.
CORE 2026 reinforced that modern national security requires an integrated, whole-of-nation approach that harmonizes military power, technological innovation, economic resilience, and proactive diplomacy.
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