Future Wars Demand Joint Operations, Not Individual Services: Air Chief

KARWAR (Karnataka), July 22: Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh on Wednesday said future wars cannot be fought by individual military services, stressing that the Army, Navy and Air Force must operate as an integrated force to effectively meet evolving security challenges. Speaking after the commissioning of INS Malvan, the second Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), the Air Chief also underlined the need for rapid technological advancement and greater self-reliance in the defence sector. “No future war is going to be fought by an individual service. Whether we are in blues, whites or olive green, we all have to fight together as one nation. Only then will we succeed,” he said. Air Chief Marshal Singh said the momentum towards greater jointness among the armed forces has strengthened over the past four to five years, particularly after the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The commissioning ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, senior naval officers, veterans and representatives of Cochin Shipyard Limited. Highlighting the importance of maritime security, the Air Chief said secure sea lanes are essential for India’s trade, economic growth and strategic interests in the Indian Ocean Region. He praised the Indian Navy’s role in safeguarding maritime trade routes and said recent global developments have reinforced the importance of secure sea lines of communication for every nation. Calling for greater self-reliance in defence production, Singh lauded the Navy’s success in indigenous shipbuilding and expressed hope that the Indian Air Force would adopt a similar model in the aviation sector. He said the Navy’s practice of embedding its officers in shipbuilding projects from the initial stages has significantly contributed to indigenous capability and should serve as an example for other services. The Air Chief said the Indian Air Force is steadily progressing towards self-reliance, though the aviation sector requires longer development cycles than shipbuilding. Describing INS Malvan as a major achievement under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, he noted that the warship has around 80 per cent indigenous content by value. Emphasising the importance of research and development, Singh said military technologies must be developed without delay. “Technology delayed is technology denied,” he remarked, stressing that indigenous innovation and production must keep pace with rapidly evolving global defence technologies. He also congratulated the Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard for successfully delivering INS Malvan and described Naval Base Karwar as one of the world’s most modern naval bases and a symbol of India’s growing maritime capabilities under Project Seabird.