Future conflicts shorter, enemy invisible, PM tells commanders

Security challenges will be less predictable in future with the duration of conflicts shorter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday and called upon the armed forces to be prepared for the "invisible" enemy and work as a team from the lowest levels to the top.

Addressing the combined commanders' conference here, the prime minister said full scale wars may become rare and domination of cyber space will become increasingly important while control of space may become as critical as that of land, air and sea.

Modi, who addressed his first combined commanders' conference, said there was expectation from India to emerge not only as one of the poles of global economy but also as one of the anchors of regional and global security.

The prime minister, who referred to the need for a "digital armed force", called upon the army, navy and the air force to continuously enhance their capability and said the most important task was to transform the defence forces.

"Beyond the immediate, we are facing a future where security challenges will be less predictable; situations will evolve and change swiftly; and technological changes will make responses more difficult to keep pace with. The threats may be known, but the enemy may be invisible," Modi said.

"Domination of cyber space will become increasingly important. Control of space may become as critical as that of land, air and sea. Full scale wars may become rare, but force will remain an instrument of deterrence and influencing behaviour, and the duration of conflicts will be shorter," Modi added.

According to a PMO statement, Modi called upon the armed forces to focus on efficiency and economy in use of resources and military assets, including by "greater integration and sharing of resources among the services".

He asked them to draw up long term acquisition plans keeping in view availability of resources, future operational requirements and technology trends.

The statement said Modi told the conference that the most important task was to transform the defence forces.

"He called for increased jointness and urged the three wings of the services to work as a team all the way from the lowest levels of the services to the top. He suggested a number of practical steps to achieve that goal," the statement said.