Jointness of three armed forces important amid changing nature of war: Navy chief

PTI, May 29, 2021, 11:13 AM IST

Pune: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh on Saturday called for the ”jointness” of three defence forces, saying that it is far more important in today’s changing nature of war than it was in the past.

He was speaking at the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla here in the morning, after reviewing the Passing Out Parade of the 140th course of the academy.

”The nature of war is changing and it is important to engage in all adversaries in all domains, like land, sea, air, space and cyber. It is for this reason that the jointness amongst the three services is far more important than in the past,” he said.

The armed forces are seeing landmark defence reforms with the establishment of the Department of Military Affairs, the institution of Chief of Defence Staff and soon to be formed of theatre commands, the Navy chief said.

”Traditions, identity, uniforms and customs of each service matter as do the requirements generated by the distinctive role of the three services. But jointness in the armed forces is paramount for more synergised and effective application of force in today’s complex battlefield,” he added.

NDA has been a symbol of jointness for 72 years. Its existence enforces the core values of jointmanship, which are the founding principles of the academy, Singh said.

”All of you must remember that no matter how future warfare evolves, few personal abilities and attributes remain key for effective leadership. Leadership, as you know the essence of the officer…,” he said in his address to the cadets.

Admiral Singh, an alumnus of the NDA’s 56th course, arrived at his alma mater on Friday, after which he visited his parent squadron ”H” (Hunter Squadron) and interacted with the cadets. He presented a memento for the squadron to the cadets, an official statement said.

During the visit, the Navy chief got down on his hands and did push-ups with the cadets, as is the tradition followed in the squadron, it said.

The entire staff of the Admiral, NDA Commandant and other officers present there also joined him, the statement added.