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Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan (File)
The CDS, in its keynote speech, also said the Israel-Hamas and Israel-Hezbollah conflicts were likely to “escalate further.”
Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday said the current geopolitical environment is in “volatility” and every nation is hedging due to “this uncertain future”.
His remarks at an event organized by the Society of Indian Defense Manufacturers (SIDM) came amid a protracted Russian-Ukrainian war and escalating conflict in parts of West Asia.
The CDS, in its keynote speech, also said the Israel-Hamas and Israel-Hezbollah conflicts were likely to “escalate further.”
“The world we see around us is actually going through an unprecedented kind of crisis… The main question that comes to everyone’s mind is whether wars will continue to be instruments of state policy to resolve political disputes, the simple answer to all this is yes General Chauhan said.
He told a gathering of defense industry leaders that he believed “conflict is an inevitable part” of human life and human nature, and wars and hostilities have been part of civilizations.
“War and hostilities are as old as human civilization and they will continue. The current geopolitical environment is in flux and everyone, every nation is betting on this uncertain future,” he said.
“Another important maxim about wars is that there are no runners-up and the winner takes all. Therefore, all nations are actually trying, as they say, to keep the dust dry. India should also follow suit,” CDS added.
In his address, he also mentioned the first Joint Commanders’ Conference held in Lucknow in September.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, while addressing the conference, said India was committed to peace but had to be prepared for war to preserve it.
General Chauhan said, “A deterrence that is credible is the only way to preserve peace. A peace loving nation like India should have enough teeth”. He also quoted a couplet from a poem by national poet Ramdari Singh Dinkar to emphasize his point.
He highlighted four aspects related to the defense and military scenario in the context of India — Future, Empowerment, Catalyzing Exports and Ingenious Innovation.
He recalled the first-ever future warfare course held last month in New Delhi.
“We’re not trying to copy how advanced armies will fight their wars, we’re actually trying to discover how we’re going to fight our wars. Because our environment, our threats, our geopolitical situation, our geography, everything is unique to us. And we will find unique solutions that suit us,” added CDS.
The Defense Minister later addressed the gathering at the SIDM event.
Singh also presented the SIDM Champion Awards, which recognize outstanding achievements in defense manufacturing.
He described the awards as a reflection of the dedication and excellence of Indian manufacturers, which will serve as a benchmark for best practices in the sector.
(This story was not edited by News18 staff and was published by a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
