Territorial disputes over land masses or over artificial islands, which are built to acquire real estate and establish military bases, and transnational threats of terrorism are among the many land-related challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, Army Chief General Manoj Pande said on Tuesday. He was speaking at the 13th Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs’ Conference (IPACC), which is being held alongside the 47th Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar and the Senior Enlisted Leaders Forum in New Delhi from September 25-27. The Indian and the US armies are jointly hosting the event, which is seeing participation from 30 countries. The conference is aimed at providing an opportunity for Army Chiefs and senior-level leaders from land forces, primarily of the Indo-Pacific region, to exchange ideas and views on security and contemporary issues. General Pande’s comments come in the backdrop of China’s increasing efforts to build artificial islands in the South China sea while also fortifying them — a move seen as an attempt to expand its territorial claims and enhance its power projection across the Indo-Pacific. However, in response to a question from the media later, he also clarified that no military alliance is being looked at through this initiative, neither is it directed against a country or a group of countries. “What we are looking at here is an open and sustained dialogue on a range of issues both of us alluded to,” he said. “I need to emphasise that it is a multilateral forum, aimed at bringing together military leadership to share certain common concerns on areas that we just defined,” he said. “It is also meant to understand perspectives of different countries, different armies and share the best practices,” he said, adding that the conference will also aim at coming out with an effective response to crisis situations, such as in case of natural or man-made disasters. The Army chief said while the construct of ‘Indo-Pacific’ largely hints at primacy of Navies as security stakeholders of the region, the role of the other components of the Armed Forces also remains relevant. “Apart from challenges exclusively in the maritime domain, a wide range of security and humanitarian concerns exist on land too,” he said. “These range from territorial disputes over land masses, or in some cases even over artificially expanded islands to acquire real estate and establish military bases, trans-national threats of terrorism, consequences of climate change impacting the inhabited islands or coastal areas of rim nations and natural calamities,” he said. General Pande said these challenges are manifesting as threats, singularly or plurally, impacting one or more nations in the Indo-Pacific region. “While efforts by countries are converging towards effecting a free and stable Indo-Pacific, we are witnessing manifestations of inter-state contestations and competitions,” he said. He said cooperation among the land forces of the region is a critical component of the collective response. The region mandates cooperation among its littoral States on security, connectivity and economy, with all having a shared goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The IPACC started in 1999 as a biennial event and is attended by Army Chiefs of countries of the Indo-Pacific region, to discuss issues of mutual interest. Responding to a question from The Indian Express on the expected outcomes of the conference, General Randy George, Chief of Staff, US Army, said there will be talks about ways to transform the forces. “How are we all learning from each other about what we are doing? How are we going to operate and with contested logistics?” he said, adding that the conference allows an opportunity for all stakeholders to come together and talk about how to continue to chart the path down the road. He also said the US Army remains ready today and into the future, and it is focusing on four areas: warfighting, delivering ready combat formations, continuous transformation, and strengthening the profession of arms. “By gathering here together – 30 nations and 20 Army Chiefs – we are deepening, and demonstrating, our unity and collective commitment,” he said. “Let’s use this opportunity to explore ways to strengthen our cooperation, build trust, maintain security, and facilitate peace through strength.” In his inaugural address, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the Indo-Pacific is no more a maritime construct, but a full-fledged geostrategic construct, and the region is facing a complex web of security challenges, including boundary disputes and piracy. He reiterated India’s stand for a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region in the pursuit of shared security and prosperity, adding that India's efforts towards building robust military partnerships with friendly countries underscore its commitment to not only safeguard national interests, but also address global challenges faced by all. He added that the Indian Armed Forces, with their unwavering dedication and professionalism, are the first responders in disaster situations and contribute to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts. He suggested that the three-day event discuss ways to enhance interoperability during the HADR operations. “It is our responsibility that the climate change-related concerns of small island nations of the Indo-Pacific are given the importance that they deserve, as these bear the brunt of climate change as an existential crisis,” he said.
