Developing space, electronic warfare integral to tackling modern-day challenges, says Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stressed the importance of capability building in space and electronic warfare, saying they are integral to tackling the modern-day challenges. Speaking at the maiden Joint Commanders’ Conference in Lucknow on Thursday, he urged the military leadership to focus on increasing the use of the 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,” the defence minister pointed out.

He called upon commanders to identify and include the right mix of traditional and modern warfare equipment in the arsenal of the armed forces.

The defence minister praised the armed forces for playing their part in safeguarding national interests and advancing the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, and hailed the efforts being taken up for furthering jointness and integration among the three services.

He said although India is a peace-loving nation, the armed forces need to be prepared for war to preserve peace and stressed the importance of evolving a joint military vision and preparing for the challenges India may face in future wars. The defence minister also emphasised the need for a synergised, swift, and proportionate response to provocations.

Further, he asked the commanders to analyse the conflicts happening in various parts of the world, including the Ukraine-Russia and the Israel-Hamas wars, and predict the possible problems India may face in the future and remain prepared to deal with the “unexpected”

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The defence minister stressed the need for 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.”

He said it is also important to equip the armed forces with state-of-the-art indigenous weapons and platforms and listed the steps taken by the government in this regard.

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Highlighting the importance of cyber and space-based capabilities in modern warfare, the defence minister underlined the necessity of preparing for future conflicts that will increasingly span multiple domains

During the conference, special attention was given to the strategic importance of cyber and space-based capabilities in modern warfare, and the necessity of preparing for future conflicts that will increasingly span multiple domains.