Form of war rapidly transforming, will have to be ready to accept change: CDS Chauhan

New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI) Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan on Thursday said the form of war is transforming rapidly due to technological advancements and the country’s armed forces will have to be ready to accept this change.

He made the remarks while addressing a gathering of Army officers, junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and soldiers drawn from 18 Grenadiers to mark 25 years of the battles of Tololing and Tiger Hill fought during the Kargil war in 1999.

Tiger Hill top was captured by the Indian Army on July 4, 1999. The 18 Grenadiers battalion played a pivotal role in the Kargil conflict. ‘Vijay Diwas’ is celebrated on July 26 every year to mark India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1999 Kargil war.

“People of the country have faith in our capabilities and due to that, we have this immense prestige. The legacy that has been bequeathed to you has been earned by our ancestors. We may not have made a direct contribution but we are reaping its fruits,” Gen Chauhan told the gathering.

This also “entrusts on us responsibilities”, both individually and as a community, he said. One cannot make a mistake as a soldier and as a community, the trust can never be lowered, the chief of defence staff (CDS) added.

In his address, Gen Chauhan said, “We are going through an age of transformation. In today’s era, the form of a war is rapidly changing. Therefore, we will always have to be ready to accept this change.”

“We want to become a professional armed force and a superpower… India. It is our desire. This can happen only if we work with new energy, new zeal and new thoughts”.

Quoting scientists and philosophers, the CDS underlined that change is the only constant and the Indian armed forces “cannot stay away from this change”

“Due to rapid technological developments, the form of the war is changing rapidly. In the past, it was found that valour was an essential element in winning a battle. But in future wars, valour alone is not enough… We will have to be flexible and imaginative and keep an open mind,” he added.

As many weapons get upgraded with better technology, tactics and strategies also change and it is very rapid now, the CDS told the gathering.

“Today we are talking of a multi-domain warfare. Instead of just conventional domains like land, sea, maritime and air, the cyber, electromagnetic spectrum and space domains are also added to augment our military strength,” he said.

The CDS said that people love and trust the armed forces and if “we have to maintain it, we will have to bring change. “We cannot fail in a war,” he asserted, adding that unlike sports, there are no runners-up in war as winner takes it all.

“To maintain that trust, you will have to understand and adapt to these new things. This is the main reason why the government has made the post of a CDS and it is part of reforms that we are endeavouring to implement,” Gen Chauhan said.

He said that as CDS, his mandate is to bring jointness and integration among the three Services, that all must work in consonance. “A unit works like a human body where any ailment impacts overall health,” he said.

Gen Chauhan extended his greetings to members of the 18 Grenadiers battalion and also the Veer Nari, whose sons or husbands made the supreme sacrifice for the nation.