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NEW DELHI: Noting that India faces multiple challenges due to the fast-changing geopolitical situation, new Army chief General Manoj Pande on Sunday said his main task will be to ensure high operational readiness along the borders with China and Pakistan as well as military modernisation with infusion of cutting-edge technologies.
“My utmost and foremost priority will be to ensure very high standards of operational preparedness to face the current, contemporary and future challenges across the entire spectrum of conflict,” Gen Pande said, after reviewing the guard of honour at South Block.
“Secondly, in terms of capability development and force modernisation, my effort would be to leverage new technologies through the process of indigenisation,” he added.
Gen Pande has taken over as the 29th chief of the 12-lakh strong Army at a time when there are still no signs of any de-escalation in the two-year-old military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh, with the two sides continuing to forward deploy over 50,000 soldiers each along with heavy weapons along the frontier in the high-altitude region.
On the Pakistan front, while artillery firings along the line of control have stopped after the ceasefire pact was renewed by the rival Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) in February last year, the terror infrastructure across the border remains intact.
Even as Pakistan continues to harbour 350 to 400 terrorists at launch pads and terror-training camps, India is also grappling with a distinct narco-terror nexus being fuelled from across the border.
With the Russian-Ukraine conflict also raging, Gen Pande said the geopolitical situation was changing rapidly and the Army, IAF and Navy will work “in close coordination and cooperation” to unitedly deal with the multiple challenges ahead. “My aim would be to enhance inter-services cooperation and synergy,” he said.
Gen Pande, incidentally, is also from the 61st course of the tri-Services National Defence Academy like IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari and Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, who were also present on the occasion.
“We have trained together, there have been occasions when we have worked together. We are fortunate to have got this chance to work together at the helm of our respective services. It is a good beginning and indication of synergy, cooperation and jointmanship among the three Services,” Gen Pande said.



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