Tactical ComNet central to modern-day battlefield: Pranab

By Staff
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New Delhi, Apr 3 (UNI) Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today called upon the Armed Forces, industry, academia and research and development establishments to synergise their efforts and work in close coordination with each other to make the country secure and self reliant.

Inaugurating a seminar on communications in the Tactical Battle Area -- Defcom India 2006 -- here, the Minister termed Tactical Communication Network and Information Communication Technology as the two components that play a pivotal role in modern day warfare.

Mr Mukherjee said, the ''Network Centricity'' of the entire complement of war fighting elements made the security, reliability and availability of communications, a major focus area in the digitised battlefield.

Further opining that complete approach to availability and protection of information had become a more complex and challenging business, he called for addressing this aspect even as the tactical communication network was being deployed.

Mr Mukherjee said the experience in the recent conflicts clearly highlighted the need for exploitation of the emerging commercial technologies by suitably strengthening them for use on the battlefield.

He further expressed the hope that the deliberations in the seminar would focus on the requirements, solutions and futuristic innovations in the design and development of communication networks, especially in the Tactical Battle Area.

The Chief of Army Staff General JJ Singh, in his address on the occasion, pointed to the recent conflicts of the 21st century and the experiences of India in 'Operation Vijay' and 'Operation Parakram' demonstrating the strengths of the digitisation of the battlefield. The Indian Army had initiated a number of modernisation programmes to create the infrastructure for the digitised battlefield, he said.

Talking about the Network Centric Warfare era, Gen JJ Singh observed that this would necessiate the integration of all battlefield entities, right from the highest headquarters down to the forward-most fighting element so as to synergise all resources and concentrate maximum force at the point of decision.

''The need of the hour is for a seamless and almost real-time dissemination of information across the Tactical Battlefield,'' he said.

The Army Chief, later talking to mediapersons on the sidelines -- observed that communication was very important in today's warfare and ''just being good leader is not enough''. He further asserted that the Army needed the best equipment for itself and would not compromise on quality.

Signals Officer in Chief Lt Gen Davinder Kumar, in his address, said Defcom 2006 -- an annual event since 2000 -- was witnessing the participation of 56 speakers and about 100 companies showing thereby the stature and reputation the event had developed over the years.

He said the major challenges facing the Indian Army, as it moved towards becoming a Network Centric Force, was the establishment of a flexible, robust, reliable and secure info-structure in the Tactical Battle Area.

''This info-structure will need to cover vast expanse of the area of responsibility of the fields force and be capable of seamlessly networking sensors, shooters and decision-making entities,'' he said.

The three-day seminar has been jointly organised by the Corps of Signals of the Indian Army and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

UNI DG ARB BST1800

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