‘Be prepared for unexpected’: Rajnath Singh tells Armed Forces to ‘keep eye on happenings…

NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India is a “peace-loving nation” but the Armed Forces need to be “prepared for war in order to preserve peace”.
Speaking at the maiden Joint Commanders’ Conference in Lucknow on the second and final day of the apex-level military leadership meeting, Singh 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’, Singh 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.
Referring to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Hamas conflicts and the current unstable 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“.
He 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, “which 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. 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,” said Singh.
The minister also asked 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 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.
The conference, which commenced 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.
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.