5 June 2026

FIGHTING LENS: MILITARY DOCTRINE AND THE FUTURE OF WARFARE IN ASIA

The International Institute for Strategic Studies

Military doctrines are strong indicators of how armed forces plan and intend to fight, with the United States, China, and India preparing for potential wars in the Asia-Pacific. The US military doctrine focuses on denying China a fait accompli seizure of Taiwan by establishing capabilities for sustained defense, resilience, counter-air, anti-surface warfare, and countering anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) operations.

China’s doctrine envisions 'systems-destruction warfare' through multi-domain joint operations, employing a counter-intervention strategy to deter US and allied involvement in Taiwan. India’s military doctrine is geared against China and Pakistan, having launched evolving 'surgical strikes' as proactive responses to Pakistani terror attacks, notably in 2016 and 2025. These doctrines, particularly operational concepts, benchmark how forces plan to fight and indicate the severity of strategic competition, shaping regional security dynamics and suggesting how future conflicts will be fought.

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