Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has given an important message to the commanders of the Indian Air Force regarding the changing challenges of future war. He said that in the coming times, victory will not be decided only by the number of fighter aircraft, but technology, ability to respond quickly and accurate strategy will play the most important role. He stressed on strengthening capabilities like drone, air defence, cyber, space and electronic warfare.
Tezzbuzz Desk – Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, while addressing the Air Force Commanders Conference held in New Delhi on November 12, talked about preparations for future war. He said that the style of war is changing rapidly and now the war is not won only on the basis of number of fighter planes, tanks and soldiers. Drones, missiles, artificial intelligence, cyber technology and precise strategy are also playing a big role in determining victory.
Referring to the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Hamas conflict, Rajnath Singh said that these conflicts have exposed the changing nature of modern war. Now war is not limited to just land, sky and sea. Missiles, drones and modern weapons have become an important part of war.
The Defense Minister advised the Indian Air Force to strengthen both offensive and defensive capabilities. He stressed on strengthening the capability to intercept kamikaze drones, surveillance drones and enemy drones. Along with this, there was a need to make the air defense system more effective.
He said that the role of cyber, space and electronic warfare will be very important in the future war. Therefore, the Indian Air Force should prepare a separate strategy and technical framework for these areas. Rajnath Singh also stressed on strengthening the intelligence and surveillance system, so that any enemy activity and threat can be detected in advance.
The Defense Minister also praised the performance of the Indian Air Force during and after Operation Sindoor. He said that the Air Force personnel completed their mission with responsibility, restraint and professionalism. He also praised the better coordination and joint action between the three armies. Rajnath Singh said that the unity seen between the three armies during Operation Sindoor should remain the basis of future military strategy.
Rajnath Singh also talked about the decision of 'Second Tour of Duty' started for the fire fighters. He said that this decision has been taken on the basis of suggestions and feedback received from the three armies. He said that the government is committed to incorporating the army's suggestions into policy decisions. He expressed hope that this will further increase the strength of the three armies.
During this conference, Rajnath Singh also launched several indigenous Artificial Intelligence applications developed for the Indian Air Force. These applications have been prepared by the AI Center of Excellence of the UDAAN unit of the Air Force. These will be used to make operational work, administration and tasks related to aerospace safety faster and easier. All these AI applications will work on the secure network of the Air Force.
Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief, senior officers and Directors General of all commands of the Air Force are attending the two-day Air Force Commanders Conference. This year the theme of the conference has been kept as 'The Year of Empowerment: Maximizing Efficiency through Decentralization'. Important issues related to operation, maintenance and administration are being discussed in the conference.