Army in News

Addressing the officers at the Army War College (AWC), Mhow on December 30, defence minister Rajnath Singh said, “Mastering frontier technologies in today’s constantly evolving times is the need of the hour, and the military training centres are playing a crucial role in equipping and readying our soldiers to deal with future challenges.”

Highlighting the radical changes being witnessed in the ways of warfare, he stated that unconventional methods like information warfare, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based warfare, proxy warfare, electro-magnetic warfare, space warfare and cyberattacks are posing a big challenge in today’s times.

The defence minister stressed on the need for the military to remain well-trained and equipped to deal with such challenges, lauding the training centres in Mhow for their valuable contribution in these efforts. He commended the centres for constantly improving their training curriculum, in sync with the changing times, and striving to make the personnel fighting fit for every kind of challenge.

Singh highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s vision of making the country Viksit Bharat by 2047, describing the current phase as a transition period. “India is constantly moving on the path of development and is rapidly emerging as a manufacturing hub. From a military point of view, we are getting equipped with modern weapons. We are also exporting Made-in-India equipment to other countries. Our defence exports, which were around Rs 2,000 crores a decade ago, have crossed the record figure of Rs 21,000 crore today. We have set an export target of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029,” he added.

The defence minister reasserted the government’s resolve to strengthen integration and jointness among the three services, exuding confidence that, in the times to come, the armed forces will be able to face challenges together in a better and more efficient way. He appreciated the fact that high-level training is provided to officers of all wings in Mhow Cantonment. He urged the officers to explore the possibility of promoting integration through training in areas such as weapons training in Infantry School; AI & communication technology in Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE); and leadership--junior and senior command in AWC.

Singh added that some officers will work as defence attaches in the future, and they should strive to secure national interests at the global level. “When you take up this post of Defence Attaches, you should imbibe the government’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. Only through self-reliance can India strengthen its defence capabilities and gain more respect on the world stage,” he added.

The defence minister voiced government’s unwavering commitment to make India one of the strongest economic and military powers in the world. “Economic prosperity is possible only when full attention is paid to security. Similarly, the security system will be robust only when the economy is strong. Both complement each other. By 2047, we will not only become a developed nation, but our armed forces will also be one of the most modern and strongest militaries in the world,” he said.

Singh also urged the officers to internalise Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s values of dedication and spirit. He described Baba Saheb as not just the architect of the Indian constitution, but also a visionary guide, reiterating the government’s commitment to introduce his values and ideals