Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that the proxy war by India's "adversary" continues along the Western borders even as he praised the Indian Army’s response to cross-border terrorism.
Addressing the Army Commanders’ Conference, the defence minister said, "I compliment the excellent synergy between the CAPF/Police forces and the Army in tackling the menace of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The synergised operations in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir are contributing to increased stability in the region and the same should remain”.
He hailed the high standard of operational preparedness and capabilities of India's security forces which he got to witness during his visits to the forward areas.
“The Army is present in every domain from Security, HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief), medical assistance, to maintaining the stable internal situation in the country. The role of Indian Army is incomparable in nation building as also in the overall national development” Singh said.
Urging the leadership to be further equipped to deal with the emerging threats, the minister said unconventional and asymmetric warfare, including hybrid war, will be part of the future conventional wars.
The armed forces should prepare a dynamic perspective planning addressing both the long-term and short-erm challenges, keeping in mind the dynamic geo-strategic changes and the ongoing global security scenarios, Singh said. “Cyber, information, communication, trade and finance have all become an inseparable part of future conflicts. This necessitates that armed forces will have to keep all these facets in consideration while planning and formulating strategies.”
He praised the Army for the contributions it is making in military diplomacy to further India's national security interests by creating sustainable cooperative relationships with foreign armies and emphasised the important role of defence attaches in achieving the same.
The conference, which will conclude on Friday, is focused on issues pertaining to organisational restructuring, logistics, administration, human resource management, modernisation through indigenisation, induction of niche technologies and assessment of the impact of the various existing global situations, the defence ministry said in a release.