NILGIRIS: Technology today is driving geopolitics and national security like never before, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while speaking at the convocation of the 80th course of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, near Coonoor, on Thursday.
AI and the emerging basket of technologies - robotics, military autonomy, dronery, quantum blockchain, additive manufacturing and the like - are revolutionising deterrence and war fighting in critical ways, he noted.
“Warfare is moving rapidly, beyond the traditional domains of land, sea, and air to space, cyberworld, undersea and newer domains of creative endeavour. Dronery, for instance, has emerged in Ukraine-Russia conflict, virtually as a new arm, if not a transformative science. A majority of losses of soldiers and equipment have been attributed neither to traditional artillery nor to armour but to drones. The power of technological innovation in combat theatres is breathtaking indeed,” the minister explained.
Emphasising the complex new challenges, Rajnath Singh said, “We are in the age of grey zone and hybrid warfare where cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and economic warfare have become tools that can achieve politico-military aims without a single shot being fired.”
Throwing light on India’s security challenges, the defence minister said, “We face persistent threats along our northern and western borders. This is further compounded by the threat of proxy war and terrorism emanating from the epicentre of terrorism in our neighbourhood.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia and the geo-political tensions in the Indo-Pacific to our east have their impact on our overall security calculus. In addition, the capability to address non-traditional security threats, including natural disasters and climate-change effects, are increasingly becoming important.”
The minister gave away nine categories of awards and a cash award for student officers who excelled during training. All the student officers were also awarded postgraduate degrees by the University of Madras.