The Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, highlighted why there’s a need for a greater integration and a standardised system for the Indian Army in order for their effective response to cyberattacks, information warfare, and evolving security challenges. Singh was speaking on Tuesday at the Tri-Services Seminar held in New Delhi when he further assured the defence ministry’s complete support for the same.
The defence minister then also underscored the readiness of the Indian Armed Forces for cyberattacks and information warfare.
"Our armed forces have developed audit systems over the years of experience... In today's era of integrated operations, it is crucial that these systems remain seamlessly interconnected. Working in isolation can pose a significant challenge to decision-making... An integrated system will also enhance the military's confidence... Today, we face the threat of cyberattacks and information warfare... We must set standards for these. When we talk about standardisation, it doesn't mean that the armed forces will lose their identity... We cannot impose the same procedure on every military... We must develop a system that coordinates the work of all three services... I am confident that we will discuss this. The Ministry of Defence will provide all possible support..." Singh cited.
"For this we will need sustained dialogues... In such a situation, the role of the leadership is major. It must clarify on every step why this reform is necessary... Only when each service and every employee understands the importance of jointness will this be successful. We can learn from the best practices of other countries, but each country has its own unique circumstances, and we must base our solutions on the necessities of the country... We can make a system that is modern, capable, and useful for every service," he added.
Singh then underscored the importance of working on pan-India tri-service logistics integration for the three forces — Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy. As per the defence minister, the Indian Armed Forces must have a common digital backbone that would work as a support to their requirements. For this, Rajnath cited the example of Durga, and said, "Goddess Durga is the biggest example that when the challenges are larger and extraordinary, unified power becomes invincible... Our Army is working towards operational readiness, and the Air Force and Navy are also working in this direction... But as soon as the Joint Service Command is discussed, our next step should be working on pan-India tri-service logistics integration.”
“A common digital backbone that will respect the unique requirements of each service, provides shared visibility of critical stocks... Work on this has already begun... We must resolve to move towards jointness together. Only when our three services come together and grow together will we be able to successfully respond to challenges.”
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