NEW DELHI, Nov 24: The element of surprise in warfare, neutralized by intrusive espionage technology, is to be supplanted by a doctrine of deception by the Indian army, according to the army's new war doctrine reported on Wednesday.

"The ability to effect true surprise is progressively reducing. Military planners, therefore, need to concentrate more on deception, as a good and well-coordinated deception plan would help to achieve surprise," says the Indian army's new doctrine.

The Hindu newspaper said the doctrine wants deception to be developed as an integral component of peace-time and war-time national security policy. "Deception is intentional, purposeful, calculated and deliberate. The target of deception should be the adversary's decision-making system."

The doctrine released on Monday says deceptions should create perceptions and therefore reinforce them. It should aim at misleading an adversary with regard to detectable information, whether actual or notional, by obscuring it.

"Often the best and simplest deception is the presentation of the truth but in such a form that the adversary disbelieves it." The process of deception is interactive and should follow the sequential steps of planning, integration and execution.