Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande emphasized the unprecedented scale and pace of change in the current geo-strategic landscape, highlighting the necessity of military strength and capabilities to prevent conflicts. He underscored that recent global events have reaffirmed the significance of hard power, particularly in safeguarding national interests.
Speaking at the AIMA National Leadership Conclave on the theme of ‘Hard Power: Modernising Forces through Self-reliance’, Gen Pande stressed the importance of comprehensive national power, where economic prowess lays the foundation for growth while military might shapes outcomes crucial for protecting and advancing multifaceted interests.
Gen Pande outlined the evolving factors shaping hard power capabilities, including the transformative impact of disruptive technologies, the changing nature of modern warfare, and socio-economic dynamics. He cautioned against external dependencies for defense requirements, citing supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions as key lessons learned.
The Army chief articulated a vision for a future-ready force, emphasizing agility, adaptability, and self-reliance across all domains of operations. He outlined a five-pillar transformation roadmap focusing on force restructuring, modernization, human resource management, and jointness with sister services.
Highlighting technological advancements, Gen Pande detailed procurements aimed at enhancing mobility, protection, situational awareness, precision fires, night fighting capabilities, and communication effectiveness. He emphasized the deployment of terrain-specific electronic warfare systems, drones, and logistic efficiencies.
Gen Pande stressed the importance of creating an effective defense-industry ecosystem to achieve self-reliance, emphasizing resource allocation, government policies, market viability, and competition. He noted ongoing efforts to develop and absorb niche technologies for military application, with a commitment to indigenization driving capability development.
Looking ahead, Gen Pande reiterated the Army's commitment to modernization, aiming to substantially increase the ratio of state-of-the-art equipment by 2030 through a focused ‘atmanirbhar’ roadmap. He highlighted significant progress in reducing dependency on imports, with a renewed focus on indigenous defense projects.
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