Lucknow, Sep 5: 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 September 05, 2024. He 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 to preserve peace. He stressed the significance of evolving joint military vision and preparing for the type of challenges the country may face in future wars while emphasizing synergized, swift, and proportionate responses to provocations.
Referring to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine & Israel-Hamas conflicts and the current situation in Bangladesh, the Defence Minister exhorted the Commanders to analyze these episodes, predict the problems that the country may face in the future, and stay prepared to deal with the “unexpected”. He emphasized the need for a broader & deeper analysis by the top military leadership given the situation along the Northern border and the happenings in neighboring countries, which are posing a challenge to peace & stability in the region.
“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 must 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 robust national security component. We should have fail-proof deterrence,” Rajnath Singh said.
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 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. Their indirect participation is deciding the course of warfare to a great extent,” he added.
Rajnath Singh enumerated the steps being taken to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defense and reiterated the Government’s commitment to strengthen the sector and equip the Armed Forces with state-of-the-art indigenous weapons & platforms. He once again voiced the Government’s resolve towards the welfare and well-being of the soldiers, both serving and retired, and their families.
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 organization 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 defense capabilities.
The Defence Minister also launched eight innovative applications including e-Museum and e-Granthalaya along with one publication on ‘Colonial Practises 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 Rajya Defence Minister 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, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Ex-Servicemen Welfare) Dr. Niten Chandra, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat, Financial Advisor (Defence Services) Sugata Ghosh Dastidar and other senior civil and military officials of Ministry of Defence.
