Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan has called upon the senior leadership of the armed forces to embrace the aspects of jointness, integration, and technological absorption in sync with the call for a ‘Third Revolution in Military Affairs’.

He complimented various formations and soldiers for their commitment towards security of the borders with a professional approach while at the same time dealing with challenges and embracing the transformational changes enthusiastically.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was addressing the Army Commanders’ Conference which concluded in New Delhi on Tuesday. The biannual event, held in a hybrid format, commenced with a virtual session chaired by General Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), on 28 March, and was followed by in-person discussions on 1-2 April. The senior leadership of the Army brainstormed a wide array of security-related aspects, including ongoing transformation initiatives, leveraging technology and innovation for capability development, enhancing operational preparedness, addressing emerging security and HR-related issues.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in his keynote address, reaffirmed the nation’s trust in the Indian Army, acknowledging its indispensable role in national security.

Chief of Army Staff, Gen Manoj Pande, in his address, complimented the Army fraternity for successfully wading through myriad challenges and embracing the transformational changes with enthusiasm. He called upon the senior leadership to continue pursuing the process of transformation and technology absorption besides adopting the best practices of sister services and modern armies.

He also emphasized the need to ensure seamless situational awareness between commanders at all levels and troops on the ground.

Gen Pande also highlighted that there is a constant need to undertake doctrinal and structural reforms by embracing change and being open to new ideas to meet future operational challenges.

Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar and Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari emphasized the importance of enhanced jointness given the lessons emerging from contemporary conflicts. They underscored the importance of synergy at the grass-roots level between the services for optimum operational outcomes.