New Delhi, Nov 12 (NVI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday stressed the need for strengthening technological capabilities, intelligence and surveillance mechanisms, and jointness among the three armed forces to enhance India’s operational preparedness against conventional and emerging security threats.
Addressing the Air Force Commanders’ Conference here, Singh said maintaining the element of surprise, both in offensive and defensive operations, was crucial in the evolving nature of modern warfare.
He said the armed forces must develop capabilities and strategies that leave adversaries with little time to react, while ensuring that Indian forces are not caught off guard by unexpected enemy actions.
“Our intelligence and surveillance mechanisms must be further strengthened and operational preparedness enhanced to ensure that our personnel remain alert, agile and equipped to respond effectively to any emerging challenge,” the Defence Minister said.
Referring to the changing character of warfare, Singh said modern conflicts were increasingly extending beyond traditional battlefields into non-contact domains, with missiles, drones and advanced weapon systems playing a decisive role.
Citing the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts, he pointed out that drones and air defence systems had emerged as critical components of contemporary warfare.
He urged the Indian Air Force (IAF) commanders to remain prepared for emerging challenges, including kamikaze drones, surveillance operations and counter-drone warfare.
Singh also called for developing dedicated doctrines and operational architectures for emerging domains such as electronic, cyber and space warfare, saying preparedness in these areas would be crucial to addressing future security challenges.
“Victory in future conflicts would depend not merely on the number of aircraft, but also on technological sophistication, speed of response and precision of preparations,” he said.
The Defence Minister said the armed forces were undergoing a transformative phase involving reforms in organisational structures, jointness, integration and operational concepts, adding that the changing security environment required continuous adaptation and a forward-looking approach.
He commended the IAF for effectively implementing its operational doctrines and methods during and after Operation Sindoor, and appreciated the professionalism, restraint and judgement displayed by air warriors in carrying out their assigned tasks.
Singh said the lessons learnt during the operation were reflected in the IAF’s evolving operational procedures, particularly the growing emphasis on drones and air defence systems.
Highlighting the coordinated contribution of the Army, Navy and Air Force during Operation Sindoor, he congratulated the three services for demonstrating synergy and integration, and stressed that jointness must remain central to military planning and operational execution.
He also appreciated the IAF’s efforts to upgrade the skills and capabilities of its personnel in line with rapid technological advancements and called for greater focus on training air warriors in emerging technologies.
The Defence Minister emphasised that the technological knowledge and expertise of young recruits could contribute significantly to improving decision-making and strengthening organisational capabilities.
On the second tour of duty initiative for Agniveers, Singh said the decision was taken after receiving feedback from the armed forces and reiterated the government’s commitment to incorporating suggestions from the services into policy decisions.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would further strengthen the three services.
During the conference, Singh also launched a suite of artificial intelligence applications developed in-house by the IAF’s AI Centre of Excellence under the Unit for Digitisation, Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Application Networking (UDAAN).
The applications are designed to automate and expedite tasks related to operations, administration and aerospace safety. They have been deployed on the IAF’s secure network.
The initiative marks another step towards technology-driven transformation and enhancing the operational capabilities of the Air Force.
The inaugural session was attended by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and other senior defence officials.
The two-day conference is being attended by Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief of all IAF commands, Principal Staff Officers and Director Generals.
The theme of this year’s conference is ‘The Year of Empowerment: Maximising Efficiency Through Decentralisation’.
The conference provides a platform for the IAF’s senior leadership to deliberate on key issues relating to operations, maintenance and administration.—(NVI)
