NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday exhorted the top brass of the military leadership towards analyses of the ongoing global conflicts, the situation along the Line of Control (LAC) and the happening in the neighbourhood with an aim to predict and be prepared to deal with the unexpected.
The Ministry of Defence said that the Defence Minister referred to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine & Israel-Hamas conflicts and the current situation in Bangladesh "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".
The Defence Minister "emphasised on the need of a broader & 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 & stability in the region.", MoD said. The prolonged standoff between the Indian Army and the PLA continues since May 2020.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presided over the maiden Joint Commanders' Conference in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on the second and final day of the apex-level military leadership meeting on Thursday.
The JCC is planned to be developed as a crucial forum for the exchange of ideas, strategies and best practices among India's top military leadership, reinforcing the country's commitment to a strong and safer future and achieving strategic autonomy in defence.
Rajnath commended the Armed Forces for their invaluable contribution in safeguarding national interests and advancing the vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', and appreciated the efforts being undertaken for furthering jointness and integration among the three Services.
In line with the theme of the conference, 'Sashakt aur Surakshit Bharat : Transforming the Armed Forces', Rajnath Singh stated that India is a peace-loving nation and the Armed Forces need to be prepared for war in order to preserve peace.
He stressed upon the significance of evolving joint military vision and preparing for the type of challenges the country may face in future wars while emphasising on synergised, swift and proportionate response to provocations.
"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." Rajnath Singh said.
The conference, which commenced on September 04, 2024, 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 the 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. The conference provided an opportunity for the commanders to review national and international developments that impact India while discussing measures to further improve the country's defence capabilities.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan inaugurated the convocation on September 04 in Lucknow, which brought together the apex level hierarchy from the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. Indian Army's Central Command is housed there with plans to make it the headquarter of the planned Northern Integrated Theatre Command (ITC).
The conference was also attended by MoS Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, other senior civil and military officials of Ministry of Defence.