While promoting self-reliance, Army Chief Manoj Pande said the geopolitical landscape is undergoing unprecedented changes and the country’s defense must evolve to keep pace with the changing battlespace. Speaking at the first defense summit on New Delhi TV, General Pande said non-state actors were “increasingly acquiring” modern military technology.
He explained that this trend has led to an increase in risk-taking behavior and a lower threshold for the outbreak of armed conflict.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by the changing dynamics of modern warfare, General Pande said: “The consequences are an increased propensity for risky behavior and a lowered threshold for the initiation of armed conflict.”
“On top of this, unresolved legacy challenges at the border continue. New threats within the scope of the conflict add to the complexity,” he said.
“Gray zone operations and aggressive behavior by our adversaries are manifested in multiple domains, including the military domain, namely land, air and sea,” the Army Chief said.
General Pande said that as a result of all these developments, the battle space has become more “complex, contested and lethal and will remain so in the future”.
He highlighted how warfare is diversifying into new domains, including cyber, the electromagnetic spectrum, information and space. General Pande said that with the paradigm shift taking place in the modern warfare battlefield, the Indian Army is trying to adapt to maintain a competitive edge.
“Against the complex canvas I just described, our nation continues to rise. As a nation, as we celebrate our centennial milestone, we have envisioned and determined to become a developed nation,” he said.
India has set a vision to become a developed country by 2047, its 100th anniversary of independence.
“The aspirations of a rising India will span an ever-expanding strategic horizon. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to us to ensure that national security is not compromised in any way so that progress continues unabated,” General Pande said.
“We are looking at 45 niche technologies and 120 indigenous projects with impact on the Army. The vision of the Indian Army is to transform into a modern, agile, adaptable, technology-enabled, future-proof force capable of deterring on multiple fronts and win wars. – Protect our national interests in the domain combat environment,” he said.
