Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while addressing the second Army Commanders’ Conference on Friday, observed that unconventional and asymmetric warfare, including hybrid war, will be part of the future conventional wars as evident in the recent conflicts happening in various parts of the world, and urged the commanders to keep these in mind while planning and formulating strategies.
“We must keep learning from the incidents to include the global ones that happened in the present and the past, to avert the damage control. Be alert, regularly modernise and prepare continuously for various contingencies,” the Defence Minister said.
“War preparedness should be a continuous phenomenon,” he said. He added that the security forces should always be ready for unpredictable scenarios and uncertainties that may arise at any time.
Addressing the army commanders from the Sukna military station in Darjeeling, Singh also mentioned the “complex and ambiguous” situations in many parts of the world, stressing that they affect everyone.
2nd Army Commanders' Conference of 2024 commenced in Gangtok on 10 Oct in a hybrid format. Hon'ble Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh addressed the conference virtually, highlighting the Indian Army's vital role in national security and modernization efforts.@trishakticorps pic.twitter.com/0k6gEVAHCW
— PRO, Defence, Guwahati (@prodefgau) October 11, 2024
“Defence diplomacy, indigenization, information warfare, defence infrastructure, and force modernization should always be considered in such a forum. War preparedness should be a continuous process, and we should always be ready for unforeseen events that may arise at any time,” he said.
Singh commended the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for its efforts in significantly improving forward infrastructure along the northern and western borders.
Singh praised the Army for its high standard of operational preparedness and capabilities and complimented the significant contributions made by the Army in terms of military diplomacy to further our national security interests by creating sustainable cooperative relationships with foreign armies.
The conference was held in Gangtok, and it was the first time that top commanders gathered near the Chinese border. Singh was to travel to Gangtok to address the army brass but could not do so because of bad weather. As a result, he had to deliver his address virtually from Sukna, where a corps is headquartered.
Team BharatShakti
