Remain prepared for future conflicts: Rajnath to armed forces

Jaipur, May 8: Asking armed forces to remain prepared for future conflicts shaped by emerging technologies and hybrid threats, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday described ‘Operation Sindoor’ as a “short-duration, deep-penetration, high-intensity and high-impact” military operation that reflected India’s growing military capabilities and collective resolve.
Addressing the second edition of the Joint Commanders’ Conference in Jaipur, the Defence Minister, said, “Operation Sindoor showcased India’s ability to compel its adversary to surrender and reflected the nation’s new military ethos.”
“Terrorism will be met with a strong and decisive response. Operation Sindoor reflected India’s resolve and military capability to protect national interests,” he added.
Singh called upon commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Force to remain future-ready by learning from recent operations and the evolving global security environment.
The Defence Minister said future conflicts would increasingly involve hybrid warfare, information dominance and simultaneous operations across cyber, space, electromagnetic and cognitive domains.
He stressed the need to strengthen capabilities in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, data analytics and secure communication networks to effectively deal with emerging security challenges.
“Future wars will not be won solely through weaponry, but through innovative thinking and enhanced synergy,” Singh said, emphasising greater integration and jointness among the three services.
He also underlined the importance of maintaining the “element of surprise” during military operations to retain strategic advantage over adversaries.
“The armed forces must remain unpredictable to adversaries while also staying alert to any surprise moves from the enemy,” he said.
Singh reiterated PM Modi led government’s commitment to modernising the armed forces through advanced weapons systems and platforms, adding that special emphasis was being placed on research and development in niche and emerging domains.
During the conference, the Defence Minister released a documentary film on Operation Sindoor, which highlighted operational preparedness and India’s capability to mount a decisive national response during crises.
He also unveiled the Hindi version of Vision 2047 and the Joint Doctrine for Integrated Communication Architecture aimed at improving interoperability, doctrinal clarity and integrated communications among the armed forces during multidomain operations.
The conference, themed “Military Capability in New Domains”, brought together the top leadership of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces to deliberate on future warfare, technological transformation and joint operational readiness.
According to officials, detailed discussions were held on cognitive warfare, cyber resilience against AI-enabled and quantum threats, indigenous innovation and AI-driven warfighting concepts.
Advanced systems and platforms developed for intelligence fusion, operational planning and information management were also showcased during the event.
Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan, Army Chief Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Dinesh Kumar Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh attended the conference along with senior civil and military officials. (KNO)