We have a greater role to play in Indo-Pacific, says Army chief Gen Manoj Pande

Tribune News Service

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, October 26

Army chief General Manoj Pande on Thursday said there would be challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and India would have a key role to play.

The Army chief was speaking to Lt Gen Raj Shukla (retd) at the curtain-raiser to set the ball rolling for the first Chanakya Dialogue. 

The Army chief spoke about the need to change and transform and look at technology as a means of war. 

Gen Pande talked about the emergence of new technology, especially niche technology, and how it would impact war.  

He said the changing face of war now included information and cyber warfare.

“Modernisation will be the key to our progress and we are inducting niche technology,” Gen Pande said. “We have identified 45 niche technologies and are running 120 indigenous projects. Our 5G test bed is 70 per cent ready. We have inducted a range of drones. Artificial intelligence and robotics are being looked at. We are looking at surveillance, image interpretation and facial recognition system.”

He said that the last one year had been challenging but the situation at the borders is stable.

“Last year, we spelt the transformation roadmap, that is, force-restructuring, modernisation and technology, combat readiness and joint-ness and human resource management. We have made good progress and have had deliverables. Self-reliance was the focus and we have done well,” the Army chief said.

On being asked about conflict at sea or on land, Gen Pande said the land domain would continue to be the key domain of warfare. “The victory markers will be in the land domain, especially when we have contested borders,” he said.

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