At 5-day conclave, Army commanders to assess national security challenges, Ukraine war implications

PTI, Apr 17, 2022, 7:34 PM IST

Representative Image (Credit: ANI)

New Delhi: Top commanders of the Army will carry out an extensive review of India’s national security challenges along the borders with China and Pakistan as well as assess any possible geopolitical implication of the Russia-Ukraine war for the region at a five-day conclave beginning Monday.

To be chaired by Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, the commanders’ conference to be held in the national capital from April 18-22 will also focus on specific plans for capability development and boosting operational preparedness of the 1.3 million-strong force, officials said on Sunday.

The Army Commanders’ Conference is an apex-level biannual event that is held in April and October every year. The conference is an institutional platform for conceptual-level deliberations, culminating in making important policy decisions for the Indian Army.

The officials said detailed deliberations have been planned to assess the possible implications of the war in Ukraine for regional security as well as various military aspects of the conflict.

The commanders will also carry out a comprehensive review of India’s military preparedness along the 3,400-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) in view of the lingering military standoff with China in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh, they said.

The anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the overall situation in the Union Territory will also be deliberated upon extensively at the conference, the officials said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to interact with the senior Army commanders and address the conference on April 21.

”During the conference, the senior leadership of the Indian Army will review the operational situation along the active borders, assess threats in the entire spectrum of conflict and undertake analysis of capability voids to further focus on capability development and operational preparedness plans,” the Army said.

”Discussions on aspects pertaining to infrastructure development in border areas, modernization through indigenization, induction of niche tech and assessment on any impact of the Russia-Ukraine war are also scheduled,” it said in a statement.

It said various agenda points recommended by regional commands will be deliberated upon by the senior commanders apart from proposals concerning improving works, financial management, introducing e-vehicles, and digitization in the Indian Army.

As part of the conference, Boards of Governors meetings of the Army Welfare Education Society (AWES) and Army Group Insurance Fund (AGIF) will be organized, the Army said.

The conference is also a formal forum for senior leadership of the Indian Army to interact with the senior functionaries of the Department of Military Affairs and Department of Defence.

The officials said the commanders are also set to delve into infrastructure development along the LAC.

India has been ramping up infrastructure development in the border regions in view of China’s building new bridges, roads and related structures in key sectors along the frontier.

India and China have been holding high-level military talks to resolve the face-off in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh. On March 11, India and China held the 15th round of high-level military dialogue to resolve the pending issues in the region.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

It is set to be the last Army Commanders’ Conference to be chaired by Gen Naravane as his tenure as Army Chief is scheduled to conclude by the end of this month.