Jammu, May 6: General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command of the Army, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi Friday asserted that the Army has learnt valuable lessons from Operation Snow Leopard and insisted “on the need to do more considering the dynamics exhibited in terms of differing perception on the Line of Actual Control,”
The Army Commander was speaking at the most awaited events both for Northern Command as well as the Industry, the “North-Tech symposium 2022” after a gap of two years in Udhampur’s Northern Command’s Headquarter.
“The valuable lessons of Operation Snow Leopard have been fully assimilated and fused into our capacities with respect to swift mobilisation, appropriate force posturing and infrastructure development in synergy with the other two services, Central Armed Police Forces and civil administration.
However, there is still more that needs to be done considering the dynamics exhibited in terms of differing perceptions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC),” he said.
“Therefore at all times we need to be geared-up and battle hardened to counter the dynamic operational situations and challenges and come out as winners,” Lt Gen Dwivedi.
“The intervening period has made us realise the importance of Raksha Atmanirbharta or self-reliance in defence manufacturing. A large number of initiatives have been undertaken by the government to give the requisite impetus to the domestic defence industry with a view to attain self-reliance,” he added while speaking on the occasion.
He said that the Ministry of Defence has set a target for indigenous defence manufacture of items worth USD 25 Billion (Rs 1.75 lakhs cr) including an export target of USD 5 Billion (Rs 35000 cr) by 2025. North Tech Symposium is a small step in the same direction.
Meanwhile, he said that “Northern Command exemplifies the notion of the two-and-a-half front. With its unique frontiers and varied terrain ranging from plains to super high altitude, as also the normal to extreme weather and climatic conditions with temperatures going to as low as minus 50 to 70 degrees.”
“The eyeball to eyeball deployment ranging from the plains of Jammu to the Siachen Glacier and further to Eastern Ladakh and the dynamic internal security situation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir make Northern Command the most unique theatre. Ever since the raising, Northern Command has been always in combat,” he added.
Referring to the Line of Actual Control and emerging circumstances, he said that “This needs adaptability of our troops to the ever changing battlefield environment as well as adoption of innovative solutions to surprise the adversary, gain ascendancy over him and be always a step ahead in cognitive, virtual and physical space.”
Importantly, the theme of the symposium of “Self Reliance in Defence through Atmanirbharta” and infusion of new technologies to meet operational challenges of Northern Command” is quite apt and conveys our pressing needs of the day, he said.
“North Tech Symposium 2022 is aimed at enabling greater engagements with the Indian Private Sector, DPSUs, R&D Organisations and Academia, who are our potential partners in development, fabrications and induction of technologically advanced systems to meet the operational needs of Northern Command.”
He said that the symposium will pave the way to identify suitable technologies and products for subsequent trials and inductions into Northern Command, as also facilitate interface with the Field Army to orient their products towards specific operational requirements.
“It will also enable all ranks to enhance their technological knowledge and threshold for conduct of efficient and smooth operations. The primary objective of the symposium is to bridge the gap between user requirement of critical defence products / technologies and the capabilities of Indian OEMs / vendors to address the same through their products, leading to speedier procurement by Northern Command through ACSFP and product improvement through OCPP,” he said and added that “At this stage, alternative solutions are also most welcome.”
OPERATIONAL CONVERGENCE WITH OTHER SECURITY FORCES
“The solutions that we seek with respect to the border guarding and internal security challenges will lead to operational convergence of CAPFs such as BSF, CRPF, ITBP and State Police co-employed within the Northern Command,” he said.
He further said: “Additionally, many initiatives in cooperation with the Lieutenant Governors of both – J&K and Ladakh, Union Territories have been co-opted and integrated by us in our efforts to foster synergy.”
Meanwhile, he said that “The Indian Army is currently engaged with the Civil Administration in special projects like developing ‘Model Villages’ in Ladakh Region, review of ‘Inner Line Permit’ and enabling adventure activities in the Himalayan Ranges, environment conservation including ‘Polythene Free Areas’ initiation and ‘Dual use Infrastructure Development.”
These partnerships would also necessitate use of newer and niche technologies and processes and we believe that North Tech Symposium 2022 would have solutions for these developmental issues as well, he added.
This year the event is being conducted in two parts. On the first day i.e today, the seminar was conducted with the theme “Self Reliance in Defence through Atmanirbharta and Infusion of New Technologies to meet Operational Challenges of Northern Command”.
Concurrently, a two day equipment display/exhibition is being conducted today and tomorrow, wherein Indian OEMs/vendors have joined hands with us to display their products and technologies.
The seminar intends to provide an opportunity to the participants from Army, Academia and Industry to discuss issues related to policy and procedures for expeditious procurement, niche technology on offer including surveillance, counter surveillance and miscellaneous technologies developed under Raksha Atmanirbharta.
“We must interact freely with the academia and industry experts and designers to work towards the common objective of enhancing our technological threshold and imbibe the best for our immediate operational requirements,” he added.
He said “Let us kindle our minds with new ideas and collective approach towards fulfillment of these common objectives.”