New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday called upon the defence forces to strengthen and sustain both offensive and defensive dimensions of the ‘element of surprise’ to maintain operational readiness against conventional and emerging threats arising from modern warfare.
Addressing the Air Force Commanders’ Conference in Delhi, Rajnath Singh emphasised the need to continue bolstering intelligence and surveillance capabilities, enhance integration among systems and identify potential threats before they unfold, an official statement said.
“Our Defence Forces must develop capabilities and methods that leave the adversary with no time to react or recover, while simultaneously ensuring that we are never caught off guard by an unexpected move from the enemy. Surprise can manifest in various forms, both conventional and electronic,” he said.
The Defence Minister also called for further strengthening of intelligence and surveillance mechanisms and enhancement of operational preparedness to ensure that our personnel remain alert, agile and equipped to respond effectively to any emerging challenge.
He asserted that contemporary conflicts are extending beyond traditional battlefields into non-contact domains, with missiles, drones and advanced weapon systems playing a significant role.
Referring to the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts, he stated that drones and air defence systems have emerged as critical components of modern warfare.
He exhorted the Commanders to remain prepared for emerging challenges such as kamikaze drones, surveillance and counter-drone operations.
The Defence Minister also called upon the Indian Air Force (IAF) to develop dedicated doctrines and architectures for emerging domains of warfare, including electronic, cyber and space.
He emphasised that enhanced preparedness in these domains would strengthen the ability to address future 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, urging the Commanders to make these emerging challenges a core priority, with focus on integrating them into institutional thinking, planning and operational processes.
(IANS)
