The Army Chief General Manoj Pande emphasized the ongoing challenges of unresolved borders, stating the importance of possessing strategic deterrence instruments to address these legacy issues. He made these remarks at the second edition of Def-Tech India, an event organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Vision Initiatives, focusing on India’s territorial capabilities and technology requirements. This comes as the third year of the ongoing conflict at the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Gen Pande stressed the significance of recognizing that weaknesses in border management can lead to broader conflicts. He emphasized the essential nature of possessing strategic deterrence instruments and maintaining conventional response preparedness, despite the prolonged commitment to counter-insurgency operations. He also highlighted how conventional capabilities are shaped by various factors, including terrain, theater, strategy, and the adversary’s capabilities and intentions.
In terms of technology infusion into war fighting systems, Gen Pande mentioned that there is an ongoing pursuit to update the existing inventory, which has a mix of vintage and theater-specific requirements. He also pointed out the critical takeaways from the ongoing conflict, including the relevance of ‘hard power’ in land warfare, the flawed assumption of ‘short, swift war,’ and the need for India to be prepared for a full spectrum conflict for a prolonged duration.
Additionally, he emphasized the need for dedicated strategies to win the war of narratives and to fight grey zone warfare, as well as the importance of self-sufficiency in critical technologies and investment in research and development. Gen Pande also highlighted the importance of finding the right balance between conventional and niche capabilities in defense, stressing the need for both rugged conventional systems and counter-niche capabilities.
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