Develop capabilities in space, electronic warfare, need to evolve joint military vision: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

He stressed the importance of evolving joint military vision and preparing for various challenges the country may face in future wars while emphasising synergised, swift and proportionate responses to provocations.

At the apex-level military leadership meeting, Singh sought the focus of the military commanders on increasing the use of the latest technological advancements in the fields of data and artificial intelligence.

The defence minister said that while these components do not participate in any conflict or war directly, their indirect participation largely decides the course of warfare.

Referring to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts and the situation in Bangladesh, he asked the military leadership to analyse these episodes, predict the problems that the country may face in the future, and stay prepared to deal with the “unexpected”.

He further sought a deeper analysis by the top military leadership on the situation along the northern borders and the neighbourhood, which he said, are posing a challenge to peace and 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. It is important that we keep our peace intact during Amrit Kaal,” he said.

“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. We should have fail-proof deterrence,” he added.

The conference, which began on Wednesday, 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.

There were deliberations on 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 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 ministry said in a statement.

At the conference, 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.