Rajnath Singh Urges Armed Forces to Develop Joint Military Vision for Future Warfare

Rajnath Singh emphasizes Joint Military Vision and Modern Warfare in Armed Forces Conference | Delhi News - Times of India

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 defence 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. 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." "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 need to evolve a joint military vision to further enhance integration and synergy in operations, doctrines, policies and procurements among the three Services. He further 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."

Jointness in focus, Rajnath pushes for swift military action

Jointness among the three services, an essential prerequisite to the creation of theatre commands, came into sharp focus at a top military conference in Lucknow on Thursday, with defence minister Rajnath Singh making a push for cultivating a joint vision, preparing for future wars, and delivering a synergised, swift and proportionate response to provocations. "India is a peace-loving nation, but the armed forces need to be prepared for war to preserve peace. We should have foolproof deterrence," he said, addressing India's top military officials at the maiden two-day Joint Commanders' Conference that began on Wednesday. Singh released the joint doctrine for amphibious operations, prepared by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, in a boost for the ongoing drive for jointness and integration of the armed forces as they chart a path towards theaterisation, a long-awaited reform for the best use of the military's resources to fight future wars. The minister was briefed on the recently released joint doctrine for cyberspace operations during the conference based on the theme Sashakt aur Surakshit Bharat: Transforming the Armed Forces. The military is ready with the blueprint of the theaterisation model and will present it to the government for final approval soon. Speaking at the conference on Wednesday, chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan had made a pitch for jointness and integration for the military to adapt to the contours of future warfare and conducting effective operations. On the concluding day of the conference, Singh drew the military's attention to ongoing wars between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Hamas, and the instability in Bangladesh. He asked the military leadership to analyse the troubling global developments, predict the challenges that India may face, and build capability and stay prepared to deal with the unexpected. "Despite global volatility, India is enjoying a rare peace dividend and 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 [the government's term for the period leading to the centenary of India's independence]. For this, we should have a strong and robust national security component," he said. The minister emphasised the need for a broader and deeper analysis of security dynamics by the top military leadership in light of the situation along the country's border with China and developments in the neighbouring countries, which threaten peace and stability in the region. Another key takeaway from Singh's address was the need for capability development in the space and electronic warfare domains, and exploiting technological developments in the fields of data and artificial intelligence. "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," he said. The focus of the conference was on future capability building, including strengthening structures for joint and integrated response and ushering in efficiency, transparency and accountability in processes during war and peace, the defence ministry said in a statement. "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," the defence ministry said, adding that special attention was given to the importance of cyber and space-based capabilities in war. The theaterisation model being pursued involves raising the China-centric northern theatre command in Lucknow, the Pakistan-centric western theatre command in Jaipur, and the maritime theatre command in Thiruvananthapuram. The armed forces have 17 single-service commands spread across the country. The army and air force have seven commands each, while the navy has three. Creating theatres would involve merging the existing commands. Speaking in the Lok Sabha in July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the creation of theatre commands to bolster national security was on track, the modernisation of the armed forces was in full swing, and the government was working on reforms to ensure the military was always battle ready.

Rajnath Singh stresses on need to evolve joint military vision to face future wars

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday (September 5, 2024) called for capability development in space and electronic warfare, with focus on increasing the use of latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), describing them as integral to tackle modern-day challenges. He said this while addressing the Joint Commanders' Conference in Lucknow on its 2nd and final day. "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, and focus on being future-oriented. For this, we should have a strong and robust national security component. We should have fail-proof deterrence," Mr. Singh said. Senior leadership of Indian Army deliberates on road map for Viksit Bharat 2047 He stressed upon the significance of evolving a joint military vision and preparing for the challenges the country may face in future wars, while emphasising synergised, swift and proportionate response to provocations, a Defence Ministry statement said. Referring to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine as well as Israel-Hamas conflicts and the current situation in Bangladesh, the 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", it stated. The Minister emphasised the need for a broader and deeper analysis by the top military leadership in view of the situation along the country's northern border and the happenings in neighbouring countries, which pose a challenge to the peace and stability in the region, the statement said. Calling on the military leadership to focus on increasing the use of latest technological advancements in the fields of data and artificial intelligence, Mr. Singh said, "These components do not participate in any conflict or war directly. Their indirect participation is deciding the course of warfare to a great extent." Endeavour to ensure Indian army is always ready to operate in full spectrum of conflict: Army Chief The focus of the two-day 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, according to the Ministry. "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," it stated. 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 statement added. At the conference, Mr. Singh launched eight innovative applications, including e-Museum and e-Granthalaya, and a publication on 'colonial practises and the armed forces - A review'. Published - September 05, 2024 08:45 pm IST Read Comments

Rajnath: Prepare for war to preservepeace; evolve joint military vision | Lucknow News - Times of India

Lucknow: India is a peace-loving nation but its armed forces need to be prepared for war in order to preserve peace, said defence minister Rajnath Singh while batting for evolving a joint military vision. Speaking at the maiden Joint Commanders' Conference in Lucknow on Thursday, the defence minister asked the apex-level military leadership to be ready to face any type of challenges the country may face during future wars. Insisting on a synergised, swift, and proportionate response to provocations, Rajnath said, "Despite global volatility, India is enjoying a rare peace dividend and is developing peacefully. However, due to the increasing number of challenges, we need to remain alert. In line with the theme of the conference, 'Sashak Surakshit Bharat: Transforming the Armed Forces', Rajnath stated that there was the need for 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. 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". "We need to focus on our present, keep an eye on the activities happening around us at present but also be future-oriented. For this, we should have a strong and robust national security component. We should have a fail-proof deterrence," Rajnath said. He commended the armed forces for their invaluable contribution in safeguarding national interests and advancing the vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. He appreciated the efforts being undertaken for furthering jointness and integration among the three Services. 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 stressed on capability development in space and electronic warfare, describing them as integral to tackling modern-day challenges. He also urged the military leadership to focus on increasing the use of the latest technological advancements in the fields of data and artificial intelligence. "These components do not participate in any conflict or war directly but their indirect participation is crucial in deciding the course of warfare to a great extent," he added. The conference, which commenced on September 4, 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 organisational structures for joint and integrated response and ushering in efficiency, transparency, and accountability in work processes during peace and war. Deliberations spanned across a broad spectrum of contemporary issues such as theatreisation, 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. The defence minister also launched eight innovative applications, including e-Museum and e-Granthalaya, along with one publication on 'Colonial Practices and the Armed Forces - A Review', marking a significant step towards greater cohesion and synergy among the three Services. 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, and other officials.

At top commanders conference, Rajnath emphasises on 'synergised, swift, proportionate' response to any provocation

The defence minister pitched for deeper analysis of the situation along India's border with China and developments in the neighbouring countries, which are posing a challenge to peace and stability in the region. The conference with the theme 'Sashakt aur Surakshit Bharat: Transforming the Armed Forces' held extensive discussions on the contours of the government's ambitious plans to roll out 'Integrated Theatre Commands'. In his remarks, Singh, in presence of the chiefs of the three services, stressed on evolving a joint military vision as part of preparation to confront future security challenges and urged the commanders to identify and include the right mix of traditional and modern military hardware in the arsenal. On the evolving regional security matrix in the region, Singh said India is a peace loving nation and the armed forces need to be prepared for war in order to preserve peace, according to the defence ministry. It said he stressed upon the significance of evolving joint military vision and preparing for challenges that the country may face in future wars, while emphasising on "synergised, swift and proportionate response to provocations." "Referring to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts and the current situation in Bangladesh, the Raksha Mantri 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 ministry said in a statement. Singh 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, it 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," Singh said. "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," he said. "For this, we should have a strong and robust national security component. We should have fail-proof deterrence," Singh added. Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane were among those who attended the deliberations. In his remarks, Singh commended the armed forces for their "invaluable contribution" in safeguarding national interests and advancing the vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India). The defence minister also appreciated the efforts being undertaken for furthering jointness and integration among the three services. The defence minister stressed on capability development in space and electronic warfare domains, describing them as integral to tackle modern-day challenges. He also 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. Singh listed the steps being taken to achieve 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence and reiterated the government's commitment to equip the armed forces with state-of-the-art indigenous weapons and platforms. Singh also voiced the government's resolve towards the welfare and well-being of the soldiers, both serving and retired, and their families. The conference brought together the combined apex-level military leadership of the country, who deliberated upon the current and future security challenges facing the nation. 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. The 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, the ministry said. It said 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, the ministry said. Singh also launched eight innovative applications including e-Museum and e-Granthalaya along with one publication on 'Colonial Practices and the Armed Forces -- A Review' marking a significant step towards greater cohesion and synergy among the three Services. PTI MPB ZMN