The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Manoj Mukund Naravane visited College of Defence Management (CDM) and Bison Division at Secunderabad on 21 October 2020. At the College of Defence Management, the COAS interacted with the officers of the prestigious Higher Defence Management Course. During the course of the interaction, he spoke about the current security scenario and focused on the geo-strategic implications on capability development and force utilisation of the Indian Army in pursuit of national interests.
During his address to the student officers and faculty of CDM, he spoke on a number of issues concerning integration, theaterisation and modernisation of the armed forces in general and the Indian Army in particular. On the government’s decision to appoint the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and create the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), he said that it was “a momentous one” and that the services needed to “demonstrate great wisdom and statesmanship in enabling the CDS, a long standing demand of the Armed Forces”.
He added that the next logical step in the process of defence reforms was the “formation of Integrated Theatre Commands to synergise the capabilities and combat potential of the three services during war and peace.” However, he advised that this process will be “deliberate, thoughtful and well considered” and its fruition will take a “number of years.”
The COAS explained to the officers that there was a need for everyone to work in a spirit of togetherness and trust with the national security interests being paramount. He added a note of caution and said that there might be a requirement for “mid course corrections.”
The COAS was optimistic about the future of integration of the armed forces, which he said was “an inevitability” as it would lead to “tri-services synergy” and optimisation of resources.
He commended the CDM for the excellent work related to grooming of tech-adept, management savvy and strategically nimble higher leadership. He also released the Golden Jubilee Commemorative Coffee Table Book on the occasion.
At the Bison Division, the COAS was briefed by Major General Alok Joshi, General Officer Commanding, Bison Division on security and operational preparedness of the formation in the presence of Lieutenant General CP Mohanty, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command.
The COAS commended the formation for their high level of operational preparedness and exhorted all ranks to continue training hard with zeal and be prepared for any future operational challenges. He was appreciative of the recent flood relief operations and protection measures taken by the units in the fight against COVID-19.
Later, the COAS visited the Simulator Development Division (SDD), Secunderabad and the TATA Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) at Hyderabad, a joint venture facility of Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems established for co-production of Apache Helicopters-64. The COAS appreciated the “Make in India” initiatives and reinvigorated efforts towards indigenisation and being “Atmanirbhar” on niche technologies.
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