New Delhi, Sep 5 :
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday stressed upon the significance of evolving joint military vision and preparing for the type of challenges the country may face in future wars.
He emphasised on synergised, swift and proportionate response to provocations.
The Defence Minister presided over the maiden Joint Commanders’ Conference in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on the second and final day of the apex-level military leadership meeting.
In line with the theme of the conference, ‘Sashakt aur Surakshit Bharat: Transforming the Armed Forces’, Singh stated that India is a peace loving nation and the Armed Forces need to be prepared for war in order to preserve peace.
Referring to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts and the current situation in Bangladesh, the Defence Minister exhorted the Commanders to analyse these episodes, predict the problems that the country may face in the future, and stay prepared to deal with the “unexpected”.
Rajnath also emphasised on the need of a broader and deeper analysis by the top military leadership in view of the situation along the Northern border and the happenings in neighbouring countries, which are posing a challenge to peace and stability in the region.
“Despite global volatility, India is enjoying a rare peace dividend and it is developing peacefully. However, due to the increasing number of challenges, we need to remain alert. It is important that we keep our peace intact during Amrit Kaal.
We need to focus on our present, keep an eye on the activities happening around us at present, and focus on being future-oriented. For this, we should have a strong and robust national security component. We should have fail-proof deterrence,” Rajnath said.
The Defence Minister called upon the Commanders to identify and include the right mix of traditional and modern warfare equipment in the Armed Forces arsenal.
He also stressed on the capability development in space and electronic warfare, describing them as integral to tackle modern-day challenges.
Singh urged the military leadership to focus on increasing the use of latest technological advancements in the fields of data and artificial intelligence.
“These components do not participate in any conflict or war directly. Their indirect participation is deciding the course of warfare to a great extent,” he added.
The Defence Minister enumerated the steps being taken to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and reiterated the Government’s commitment to strengthen the sector, and equip the Armed Forces with state-of-the-art indigenous weapons and platforms.
He once again voiced the Government’s resolve towards the welfare and well-being of the soldiers, both serving and retired, and their families.
The conference, which commenced on Wednesday brought together the combined apex-level military leadership of the country, who deliberated upon the current and future challenges to the nation in the context of national security.
The focus of the conference was on future capability building including organisation structures for joint and integrated response and ushering in efficiency, transparency and accountability in work process during peace and war.
Deliberations spanned across a broad spectrum of contemporary issues such as theaterisation, indigenisation and technological developments including those in the field of robotics and Artificial Intelligence enabled autonomous weapon systems.
Special attention was given to the strategic importance of cyber and space-based capabilities in modern warfare, underlining the necessity of preparing for future conflicts that will increasingly span multiple domains.
Rajnath also launched eight innovative applications including e-Museum and e-Granthalaya along with one publication on ‘Colonial Practises and the Armed Forces – A Review’ marking a significant step towards greater cohesion and synergy among the three Services.
