Rajnath Singh addressed maiden Joint Commanders’ Conference in Lucknow.

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SHYAM SOOD

==The Defence Minister commended AFs invaluable contribution to safeguarding national interests.
==Two-days maiden Joint Commanders’ Conference (JCC) concludes in Lucknow today.

RAJOURI, SEPT 05:--Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh presided over the maiden two- days Joint Commanders’ Conference (JCC) of the apex-level military leadership on the second & final day on Thursday (September 5) in Lucknow.
He 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.
The theme of the conference was ‘Sashakt aur Surakshit Bharat: Transforming the Armed Forces’.
“India is a peace-loving nation, and the Armed Forces need to be prepared for war in order to preserve peace,” said the Defence Minister.
He 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 situation in Bangladesh, Rajnath Singh 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 for broader & deeper analysis by the top military leadership in view of the prevailing situation along the Northern border and the happenings in neighbouring countries, which are posing a challenge to peace & stability in the region.
“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 the Defence Minister.
“Identify and include the right mix of traditional and modern warfare equipment in the Armed Forces arsenal. Focus on capability development in space and electronic warfare, describing them as integral to tackle modern-day challenges,” Rajnath Singh asked the Commanders.
“These components do not participate in any conflict or war directly. Their indirec
participation is deciding the course of warfare” he added.
Rajnath Singh enumerated the steps being taken to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and reiterated the Government’s commitment to strengthen the sector and equip the Armed Forces with state-of-the-art indigenous weapons & platforms.
The focus of the conference was on future capability building including organisation structures for joint and integrated response and ushering in efficiency, transparency and
accountability in the work process during peace and war.
Broad spectrum of contemporary issues such as theorisation, indigenisation and technological developments including those in the field of robotics and Artificial Intelligence enabled autonomous weapon systems was discussed in the meeting.
Special attention was given to the strategic importance of cyber and space-based capabilities in modern warfare.
The Commanders reviewed national and international developments that impact India, while discussing measures to further improve the country’s defence capabilities.
Eight innovative applications including e-Museum and e-Granthalaya along with one publication on ‘Colonial Practices and the Armed Forces – A Review’ marking a significant step towards greater cohesion and synergy among the three Services were also launched by Rajnath Singh.
The conference was attended by MoS Defence, Sanjay Seth; CDS, General Anil Chauhan; COAS, General Upendra Dwivedi; Chief of the Naval Staff ,Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi; IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari; Defence , Giridhar Aramane; Secretary (Defence Production), Sanjeev Kumar; Secretary (Ex-Servicemen Welfare), Dr Niten Chandra;Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Dr Samir V Kamat; & Financial Advisor (Defence Services), Sugata Ghosh Dastidar.