In a first, PM to address top Commanders onboard INS Vikramaditya on Dec 15

Kochi, Dec 11: In a historic first, the Combined Commanders' Conference will be held onboard aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, off Kochi coast, on December 15.

The ship is now commanded by Captain Krishna Swaminathan, who had recently taken charge.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who mooted the idea to hold the Conference outside Delhi last year, will be addressing the Commanders. As reported by OneIndia earlier, this is the first time that the Commander's Conference being held outside New Delhi.

Last year, PM Modi addressing the conference in New Delhi in October, had spelt out his vision for the armed forces. The PM had expressed his desire to see such conferences held on ships, forward military areas or air bases, in future.

Navy Spokesperson Capt D K Sharma told

, Chief of all three wings of the armed forces, senior Cabinet ministers are expected to attend the meet.

Last year, while addressing the Commanders, PM Modi said that India's armed forces were second to none in professionalism, valour, commitment, service and duty.

"Beyond the immediate, we are facing a future where security challenges will be less predictable; situations will evolve and change swiftly; and, technological changes will make responses more difficult to keep pace with. The threats may be known, but the enemy may be invisible," Modi had said in his maiden address to the Commanders.

Forces go on a digital drive following PM's directive

He said the domination of cyber space will become increasingly important and the control of space may become as critical as that of land, air and sea. Noting that full scale wars may become rare, the PM wanted the forces to remain as instruments of deterrence.

During the speech the PM also spoke about his dream of a Digital Armed Force and directed the Services to upgrade technological skills. Since then, the armed forces in the last one year had launched a series of digital initiatives.

This will be the first time Manohar Parrikar will attending the Combined Commanders' Conference which discusses India's defence preparedness in detail.

Sources at the Southern Naval Command said that preparations are on to host a number of top military officials who will be landing at INS Garuda.

OneIndia News