Technology will be the key to the future of warfare, with artificial intelligence, robots and guided missiles dominating the scene, Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat said here on Friday.
The young Army officials must harness the opportunities to explore unmanned platforms and network-centric operations, he explained in the convocation ceremony at the Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME), Secunderabad.
“As techno warriors, your challenge would be to harness the latest defence technologies for the benefit of the Army,” he told the graduates.
Weapon systems
Army tech warriors will be at the forefront for the sustenance of these weapon systems, he said.
Military forces across the world are undergoing a transformation from being manpower-intensive to a technologically advanced one. “You have joined the force at a time when it is undergoing a metamorphosis to become a highly advanced force and you will play a stellar role during the transition, as pioneers of change,” the Army chief said.
The history of warfare bears testimony to the decisive role played by technology on the outcome of military conflicts and to maintain an edge over others, we need to constantly upgrade technology, he said.
General Rawat conferred engineering degrees to 27 Officers of Degree Engineering Course (DE-99) and 40 officers of Technical Entry Scheme Course (TES-30) in a ceremony attended by a host of senior dignitaries from military and civil administration.
GOC-in-C ARTRAC, best student book prize, DGEME gold medal and DGEME trophy were awarded to Captain Jasmeet Singh Chawla for being an all-around student officer of the course. While Major Sabyasachi Panda, Captain Prakash M and Captain Simhagiri Pogiri bagged best project award for Kote Inventory Management System, which will automate the kote issue and receipt procedure in vogue. “Indian Army has been the torchbearer of many non-military innovations and I am happy to note that the officers of graduating courses have undertaken projects involving state-of-the-art technologies, ranging from biometrics, solar power to artificial intelligence,” Major Rawat said.
He advised the graduates to cope with the exponential growth in knowledge and utilise its impact on the military system.
The Indian Army is compiling data on the assistance needs of Army men who have become disabled, and once it is done, it will come up with a concrete action plan, he said while interacting with the reporters on the sideline of the event.
When asked about suicides by armed personnel while on duty, General Rawat said that it should be looked from the emotional suffering of human beings rather than the issues of the Army.
