This issue of SP’s Land Forces coincides with the Army Day which falls on January 15 and is celebrated as on this day Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa (then a Lt General) took over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General F.R. Bucher on January 15, 1949.

On this occasion, Chief of the Army Staff General M.M. Naravane held the traditional press conference, this time in virtual mode. Our lead coverage in this issue is the highlights of the Chief’s press conference. He said that with the global Centre of Gravity shifting to the Indo-Pacific, India has been actively engaged with other partners in working towards peace and stability in the region. He emphasised that the Army continues to rapidly transform into a ‘Future Ready Force’ through significant changes in thought and structures, absorbing niche technologies and fostering indigenous defence production. He was forthcoming on terror by stating that there is ‘Zero Tolerance’ to terror & the current approach to J&K has led to a progressive improvement of the situation. Regarding future-readiness and procurements, he added that the Indian Army is committed to the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and has prioritised its procurement from the Indian Industry.

In an article on making Indian Army future ready, Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd) laments that India has yet to define a National Security Strategy, has not undertaken a Comprehensive Defence Review or established credible deterrence to the China-Pakistan proxy wars being waged on India. He stressed that Modern militaries envisage future warfare being won and lost in cyberspace, enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and space platforms and is India ready?

Continuing on the ‘future’ aspects of warfare, in his article, Lt General Abhay Krishna looks beyond traditional contact warfare & asks if we are prepared today to foil a cyber-attack by China on our Railway Network, Banking System or Power Grid and why cyber-warfare capabilities have not been prioritised by India?

In his article on the ‘Future’ of warfare, Major General Atanu Pattanaik looks at the convergence of AI, drones and robotics leading to the fielding of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) and how in the near future, the soldier may be seen as a liability in the battlefield.

This issue just about wraps up with the Flag Appointments. The 12th edition of DefExpo will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between March 10-13, 2022. Hope to meet you all at Hall 8 Stall 8S.3.

We at SP’s wish all valuable readers of SP’s Land Forces, a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Year 2022.

Jai Hind!