NEW DELHI: Ahead of the impending creation of integrated theatre commands, defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday told the armed forces to evolve a 'joint military vision' and prepare for challenges the country may face in future wars, amid the continuing military confrontation with China and turmoil in the neighbourhood.
"India is a peace loving nation but the armed forces need to be prepared for war in order to preserve peace...We should have fail-proof deterrence," Singh said, asking the military brass to closely study the ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts as well as the current situation in Bangladesh.
The minister, addressing the joint commanders' conference (JJC) in Lucknow, said the Army, IAF and Navy should always stay prepared to deal with the "unexpected", with strategies in place for "synergised, swift and proportionate responses to provocations".
Singh stressed the need for "a broader and deeper analysis" by the top military leadership in view of the situation along the northern borders with China and the happenings in neighbouring countries, which are posing a challenge to peace and stability in the region. The minister had a closed-door session with the military brass on China and the situation along the 3,488-km line of actual control.
In his address, Singh said, "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," he added.
The minister also stressed upon the significance of evolving a joint military vision to further enhance integration and synergy in operations, doctrines, policies and procurements among the three Services.
He also called upon the commanders to "identify and include the right mix of traditional and modern warfare equipment" in their arsenals, while stressing on capability development in space and electronic warfare since they are "integral to tackling modern-day challenges"
Asking them to increase the use of latest technological advancements in the fields of data and artificial intelligence, he said, "These components do not participate in any conflict or war directly. But their indirect participation is deciding the course of warfare to a great extent."
The two-day JJC discussed the current and future challenges to the nation in the context of national security. "The focus was on future capability building, including organisation structures for joint and integrated responses as well as ushering in efficiency, transparency and accountability during peace and war," an official said. "Deliberations spanned across a broad spectrum of contemporary issues such as theaterisation, indigenisation and technological developments including those in the field of robotics and AI-enabled autonomous weapon systems," he added.
Start a Conversation
Post comment