Army chief reviews operational preparedness of S-W Command

Jaipur, June 23:

Chief General

reviewed the operational preparedness of the South Western Command during his two-day visit here which ended on Monday.

Gen Bikram, accompanied by his wife Bubbles Singh, arrived here on Sunday and was received by the South Western Army Commander Lt Gen Arun Kumar Sahni, defence spokesperson S D Goswami said.

"The Army Chief during his visit addressed the officers of the Command. While 400 officers were present in Jaipur, the others were addressed through video conferencing," the spokesperson said in a statement. The Army Chief complimented them on the professionalism exhibited during various exercises, including those with foreign armies.

The Army chief, during the visit, addressed the officers of the Command

He reiterated the prevailing external and internal security environment and emphasised upon the efforts required to overcome the myriad security challenges.

"The COAS stated that transformation and modernization of the armed forces, including induction of state of art equipment and development of network centricity were the prerequisites for operational readiness and excellence," he said.

The Army chief, who will retire on July 31, stressed upon the rich military traditions, ethos and the value system and the importance to remain committed and well focused to discharge our onerous responsibilities, while catering for all contingencies, the statement said.

PTI