The third edition of the Future Warfare Course (FWC-03) culminated on 25 February 2026 at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi. The course was organised by the Doctrine, Organisation and Training (DOT) division under the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and ran from two to 25 February 2026. The programme was developed under the vision of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan to align operational, strategic and technological priorities across the services.

The curriculum provided a blend of operational doctrine, strategic orientation and technological familiarisation and drew participation from 39 officers representing the army, navy and air force. The course was delivered in two phases to foster civil military collaboration and innovation. The first phase included representatives from startups, micro, small and medium enterprises, private industry, academia and defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) to showcase indigenous capabilities and support the drive for self reliance in security.

During the second phase, participants engaged with academic institutions and subject matter experts including space technology firms and counter Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) companies in Hyderabad from 15 to 17 February 2026, and field demonstrations were conducted to illustrate practical applications. Visits to the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) at Gurugram and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi provided further operational insight. Participants were also familiarised with cognitive warfare concepts through exposure to media and social media interfaces.

Emphasis on Multi Domain Operations (MDO) shaped the syllabus and the course concluded with a two day strategic wargaming exercise mentored by retired ambassadors and representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The exercise was intended to broaden understanding of foreign policy, international dynamics and internal security considerations and to reinforce professional military judgement. The Ministry of Defence assessed that the course strengthened strategic and technological readiness while deepening civil military integration.