MHOW: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Army War College Mhow, emphasized that national security demands a whole-of-nation approach with active participation from every sector.
In today's era, wars have become so sudden and unpredictable that it is very difficult to predict when any war will end and how long it will last. So we must be prepared for every situation, he said. We must be prepared for this so that our current capacity is sufficient, that is, if any war is spread from two months, four months, a year, two years, even five years, then we should be fully prepared for it, he added.
Rajnath Singh was addressing the two-day sui generis Tri-service dialogue on war, warfare and warfighting, RAN SAMWAD-2025, held at the Army War College in Dr Ambedkar Nagar, Madhya Pradesh.
"The name 'Ransamvad' has historical basis in India and reminds me of many incidents from our history, which shows us how civilisationally, battles and dialogues in India were intertwined," he said. "In our culture, dialogue is not separate from battle — it comes before the battle, it happens during the battle and it continues even after the battle", he added.
In today’s global environment, it is often the breakdown of dialogue that becomes the root cause of hostility and conflict. On the other hand, even in times of war, maintaining channels of dialogue remains essential, he said.
Defence Minister reiterated that India has never been a nation that seeks war. "We have never initiated aggression against anyone. However, the present geopolitical reality is quite different. Even though we do not harbour any aggressive intent, if someone challenges us, it becomes imperative that we respond with strength," he said. "To do so, we must continuously enhance our defence preparedness. This is why training, technological advancement and sustained dialogue with partners are of utmost importance for us," he said.
Bringing out the way war has changed, "The present era is defined by non-linear and multi-domain warfare," he said. "Today, there is no fixed system of war, no rigid doctrine that we can blindly rely upon. Hence, would like to state - in the present age, there is no definite peculiar form of war,” he added.
Today, in the 21st century, this transformation has become even more rapid and the sheer numbers of soldiers or the size of weapon stockpiles are no longer enough, he said. "Cyber Warfare, Artificial Intelligence, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Satellite-based Surveillance are shaping the wars of the future. Precision-guided weapons, real-time intelligence and data-driven information have now become the cornerstone of success in any conflic," he added.
Adding further on the modern battles which are no longer confined to land, sea and air, he said, "they now extend into outer space and cyberspace. Satellite systems, anti-satellite weapons and space command centres are the new instruments of power. Therefore, what we require today is not just defensive preparedness but also a proactive strategy."
In the times ahead, "the nation that masters the triangle of technology, strategy and adaptability will emerge as the true global power," he said.
"We should not trust Pakistan. No first use doctrine must be reconsidered! That is ok that Nuclear weapons have to be deterrence for any misadventure by someone! But We can’t forget that you deal with a country like Pakistan we never trust him and remember his general openly nuclear threats against our country and half of the world recently from United States!" he said.
Lessons from Operation Sindoor
Pointing to the bravery and swiftness with which forces carried out action against the terrorists sheltered in Pakistan was something, Rajnath said, that those terrorists could never have even imagined.
"I firmly believe that every war leaves us with some important learnings. In the course of battle, we are able to realistically assess the level of our preparedness," he said. "If we speak of Operation Sindoor, it was indeed a striking demonstration of technology-driven warfare," he added.
"Be it offensive or defensive techniques, operational practices, quick and efficient war logistics, the seamless integration of our forces or matters of intelligence and surveillance— Operation Sindoor gave us a wealth of lessons," he said. "It provided us with a glimpse of the kind of challenges and responses that could serve as valuable guidance for any conflict in the future," he further said.