New Delhi: The Second Army Commanders' Conference for 2024 will be organised in a hybrid mode, with the first Phase planned on 10-11 October in a forward location at Gangtok.
In the second phase, the senior hierarchy of the Indian Army will congregate at Delhi on 28-29 October. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will deliver a keynote address to the senior leadership at Gangtok and will be briefed on the emerging security challenges and the response of the Army in the security domain, an official statement said.
As the nation faces numerous regional security challenges, the upcoming Army Commanders' Conference scheduled to commence in Sikkim tomorrow, assumes significance. Conducting the conference of Senior Commanders at a forward location underlines the Indian Army's focus on ground realities. The conference will serve as a forum for Senior Commanders to review current operational preparedness, deliberate on critical strategies and outline future directives, the statement added.
During the first phase of the conference, discussions will focus on critical national security issues and strategic aspects aimed at sharpening the Indian Army's warfighting capabilities. Major issues to be deliberated during the two-day session will include the growing importance of a multi-pronged national security strategy that incorporates integration of the civil-military fusion and the diplomatic, information, military, and economic (DIME) pillars to counter contemporary threats besides the need for developing low-cost technologies and alternate strategies to counter the rapidly evolving character of warfare, it said.
Aligned to the Indian Army's goal of technological absorption, the senior hierarchy will deliberate on various issues including the infusion of technology in professional military education and explore the possibilities of recruiting domain specialists in niche domains. Other issues under deliberation will focus on enhancing the overall organisational health and easing the processes of the field army to make them more resilient and responsive, the statement said.
The second phase of the conference will feature a discussion on the evolving geopolitical landscape followed by brainstorming on operational matters and meetings of various Board of Governors to deliberate upon welfare measures and schemes for the financial security of serving soldiers, veterans and their families. The senior hierarchy of the Army will also be addressed by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, it added.