Future wars demand jointness of all Services: Indian Navy Chief to Army officers
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Future wars demand jointness of all Services: Indian Navy Chief to Army officers")
India's Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan. Photograph: (WION)
India's Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan shared his firm belief that 'the character of warfare may have changed in many ways, but fundamentally, war still remains a profoundly human endeavour'.
Emphasising the need for jointness between the Indian tri-services (Army, Navy, Air Force), the country's Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan told newly commissioned Indian Army officers that 'tomorrow's wars will demand the combined strength of all Services and all domains. Quoting from the Rig Veda, he said, 'Samano Mantrah' - Our purpose is one. Irrespective of the colour of our uniforms, we must train together, operate together, and when called upon to do so, prevail together, he added while addressing the young Lieutenants who had formally been commissioned into the Army after 11-months of gruelling training. The Navy Chief was the Reviewing officer of the Passing out Parade(PoP) held at the Indian Army Officers Training Academy in Chennai.
At the event, 313 Officer Cadets(Men) and 29 Officer Cadets (Women) were commissioned into various Arms and Services of the Indian Army. Additionally, seven Officer Cadets(Men) and ten Officer Cadets (Women) from Friendly Foreign Countries (Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Bhutan and Lesotho) successfully
completed their training at the OTA Chennai, fostering bonds of camaraderie and cooperation across international borders.
Tracing the ever-changing nature of warfare, Admiral Swaminathan highlighted that the battlefield that he entered as a
young Naval officer(Back in 1987) is significantly different from the one that the newly-commissioned officers will see
today and in the future. "Warfare has transformed dramatically! Weapons strike farther and with astonishing
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Precision... sensors see clearer and deeper...operations unfold quicker and simultaneously across domains, and combat is shaped by technologies of previously unimagined sophistication, capability and
versatility," he said.
While highlighting the changing nature of warfare, he also shared his firm belief that 'the character of warfare may have
changed in many ways, but fundamentally, war still remains a profoundly human endeavour'. Combat operations may see new weapons being used across new domains, but their outcomes shall continue to be determined by the men and
women who fight, lead, inspire, persist and persevere, he added.
In a profound message about authority and loyalty, Admiral Swaminathan told the young Army Officers: "Your rank may give you authority. Your character will give you credibility. But only your leadership will earn you loyalty. Never confuse the three. You will wear stars on your shoulders. But the men and women you command will look beyond those stars and ask themselves:- Will this officer stand by me when things go Wrong? Will he or she take responsibility when the situation becomes difficult? Will he or she live and die by the value system we collectively hold dear, or expect me to do something he or she wouldn’t do himself or herself? More importantly, can I trust him or her with my life and the future of my family if things go wrong for me ?"
Your answers to these questions will define you far more than any promotion, annual confidential report, commendation or gallantry award ever can, he concluded.
