Source : The Indian Express
Be ready to tackle new & emerging threats: PM Modi to military commanders
Asking the three Services to be ready to tackle new and emerging threats, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday that the government is taking all steps to equip the Armed Forces with necessary weapons and technologies.
He also complimented the Armed Forces for their role in nation building and providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) assistance to friendly countries.
He was addressing top military commanders on the third and concluding day of the Combined Commanders’ Conference-2023 in Bhopal. It’s a biennial event where the country’s top military brass come together to brainstorm on military matters and national security.
In a statement Saturday, the Ministry of Defence said that during the valedictory session of the conference, the Prime Minister reviewed the security situation and operational readiness of the Armed Forces. He was briefed by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on the various discussions conducted during the conference.
On March 30, The Indian Express reported on the range of topics on the conference table, including theaterisation, data digitisation and absorption of Agniveers.
The Ministry, in its statement, said that on the final day of the session, topics including aspects of digitisation, cyber security, challenges of social media, self-reliance in defence, absorption of Agniveers and jointness were discussed.
“In a significant development from the past, the scope of the conference was expanded this year, wherein, a few multi-layered and interactive sessions were conducted with participation of soldiers from every command of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, including the Tri-Services Andaman and Nicobar Command,” it said.
The Ministry said that this year’s conference was special, where inputs from various field units were sought on contemporary issues like changes in various tactics, techniques and procedures and way forward for greater integration among the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force.
These inputs were discussed in detail by the military commanders at the conference, which provided an opportunity for them to review the modernisation of the Armed Forces and the ongoing and concluded military operations, while discussing ways to enhance the country’s defence capabilities.
The Ministry said that the theme of the conference was ‘Ready, Resurgent, Relevant’, adding that deliberations over a varied spectrum of issues were held, including on national security and evolving a joint military vision for the future.
On Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interacted with the top military brass and reviewed the defence preparedness. He praised the Armed Forces for their contribution in protecting national interests and providing support to the government in realising its vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
The last conference in 2021 saw discussions on challenges in the new domain of cyber, space and unmanned systems among other contemporary topics. The Prime Minister, in his speech during the last conference, had mentioned increasing indigenisation in India’s military equipment and in doctrines, procedures, and customs of the Indian military.
