STRIVING FOR JOINTNESS

At a time when the world is witnessing two major wars, India has its own set of external challenges to deal with.

GENERAL ANIL CHAUHAN

Chief of Defence Staff

Speaking at the India Today Conclave, General Anil Chauhan, the Chief of Defence Staff, highlighted the rise of China, the unsettled boundary issue and Beijing's "friendship" with Pakistan as the biggest challenges before our armed forces. Both neighbours profess a friendship "as high as the Himalayas and as deep as the oceans" and are nuclear-capable.

ON THEATRE COMMANDS

"WARFARE IS CHANGING RAPIDLY. WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE FOR THAT. UNFORTUNATELY FOR US, FOR THE PAST 77 YEARS, ALL THE THREE SERVICES HAVE GROWN INDEPENDENTLY. BUT NOW WE THINK, MULTIDOMAIN OPERATIONS ARE A REALITY. ALL THE THREE SERVICES HAVE TO COMBINE THEIR CAPABILITIES... JOINTNESS IS LIKE PROMOTING BONHOMIE AND REMOVING MISTRUST, WHICH EXISTED UNTIL SOMETIME BACK"