Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday called on the armed forces to strengthen their offensive and defensive capabilities, intelligence networks and technological preparedness to maintain operational readiness against conventional and emerging security threats.
Addressing the Air Force Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi, Singh stressed the importance of maintaining the element of surprise, strengthening surveillance mechanisms and identifying potential threats before they materialise.
“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,” he said.
He noted that surprise could take conventional as well as electronic forms and called for stronger intelligence and surveillance systems to ensure that military personnel remain alert, agile and prepared to respond to emerging challenges.
Highlighting the changing nature of modern warfare, the Defence Minister said contemporary conflicts were increasingly extending beyond traditional battlefields into non-contact domains, with missiles, drones and advanced weapon systems playing a growing role.
Referring to the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts, he said drones and air defence systems had emerged as critical components of modern warfare. He urged the Indian Air Force (IAF) leadership to prepare for emerging challenges involving kamikaze drones, surveillance and counter-drone operations.
Singh also called for dedicated doctrines and operational architectures for emerging domains, including electronic, cyber and space warfare.
“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 commanders to incorporate these challenges into institutional thinking, planning and operational processes.
He said the armed forces were undergoing a transformative phase involving organisational restructuring, jointness, integration and changes in operational concepts. The evolving security environment, he added, required continuous adaptation and a forward-looking approach to military preparedness.
The Defence Minister commended the IAF for implementing its doctrines and operational strategies effectively during and after Operation Sindoor. He appreciated the professionalism, restraint and judgement demonstrated by air warriors in carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
He said lessons from the operation were reflected in the IAF’s evolving operational procedures, particularly the increased emphasis on drones and air defence systems, which are critical to national security.
Highlighting the coordinated contributions of the Army, Navy and Air Force during Operation Sindoor, Singh congratulated the three Services for demonstrating synergy and integration. He stressed that jointness must remain central to military planning and operational execution.
Appreciating the IAF’s efforts to upgrade personnel skills in line with rapid technological advancements, he urged commanders to continue training air warriors in emerging technologies. He also highlighted the potential of young recruits to contribute to better decision-making and organisational development through their technological knowledge and expertise.
On the Second Tour of Duty initiative for Agniveers, Singh said the decision had been taken after considering feedback from the armed forces. He reiterated the government’s commitment to incorporating the Services’ suggestions into policy decisions and expressed confidence that the initiative would strengthen the three Services.
During the conference, Singh also launched a series of artificial intelligence (AI) 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 in the Air Force’s technology-driven transformation and efforts to enhance operational efficiency and capabilities.
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, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and Secretary (Defence Finance) Vishvajit Sahay.
Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief of all IAF commands, Principal Staff Officers and Director Generals are also participating in the two-day conference.
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 concerning operations, maintenance and administration.
(PIB)
