Top Army commanders to deliberate on national security challenges at 5-day conference from April 17

Top commanders of the Army will carry out a comprehensive review of India's national security challenges along the borders with China and Pakistan and ways to boost the combat capability of the force at a five-day conclave beginning Monday.

The commanders' conference will also focus on the ongoing reform process in the 1.3 million-strong force and the use of high technologies such as artificial Intelligence, robotics and virtual reality for various purposes, officials said.

The Army's plan as part of 'Year of Transformation-2023' along with progress on the Agnipath scheme and ambitious digitisation and automation initiatives will also feature at the conference.

A talk on the future contours of Indo-China relations by former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale, who also served as India's envoy to Beijing, is also planned during the conference, the officials said.

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During the conference from April 17 to 21, the commanders are expected to carry out an extensive review of the overall situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in view of the three-year border row in eastern Ladakh.

The Army said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to address the conference on April 19 where he will also review an equipment display focussing on niche technology, innovation, solutions for surveillance, artificial intelligence, training, robotics, virtual reality and operational logistics.

For the first time, the commanders' conference is being conducted in a hybrid format exploiting available technology for secure communication, the Army said in a statement.

It said the commanders and other senior functionaries will meet virtually on the first day and then travel to Delhi for in-person discussions on matters requiring detailed deliberations.

On the first day of the conference, agenda points suggested by various command headquarters will be discussed, followed by an update from the Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command and sessions by Principal Staff Officers of the Army headquarters.

"The forum will also review the progress on the activities charted out as part of 'Year of Transformation-2023' along with progress on Agnipath scheme, digitisation and automation initiatives, combat engineers tasks, work aspects and budget management," the Army said.

The senior officers will also be addressed by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.

The regional security situation and geopolitical implications of the Russia-Ukraine war may also figure at the conference, the officials said.

The Army Commanders' Conference is an apex-level biannual event that is held in April and October every year. The conference is an institutional platform for conceptual-level deliberations, culminating in making important policy decisions for the Indian Army.

The anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the overall situation in the Union Territory will also be deliberated upon at the conference, the officials said.