The Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande on June 18 said that transformational reforms are underway in the country’s armed forces even as the country’s active borders and equally challenging internal threats mandate a very higher level of operational preparedness.
General Pande presided over the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, and formally inducted 165 cadets into the mainstream by presenting the ‘Wings and Brevets’ to the cadets of the flying branch, Indian Navy and Coast Guard who successfully underwent training.
Addressing the parade, the Indian Army Chief said that the reforms are underway in the armed forces in the human resources management and other domains such as capability development with focus on ‘Atmanirbhar Bharath’.
He said that emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing robotics and hypersonics are no longer confined to theories but are physically manifesting in battlefields.
“Harnessing and leveraging technology is no longer an option but an essential mission mandate,” Major Pande said.
Meanwhile, the event was witnessed by the family members and friends of passing-out cadets, as well as senior serving and retired officers from three services.
Earlier in the day, the skydiving team of Indian Air Force ‘Akash Ganga’ enthralled them by painting the blue skies with the tricolour and carrying out a perfect landing right in front of them.
The spectators were awestruck by the movements of the Air Warrior Drill team and the aerobatic display by ‘Sarang’, the helicopter aerobatic team of IAF; ‘Suryakiran’, the Hawk Aerobatic display team; and PC 7 aircraft.
The grand ceremony culminated with the newly commissioned officers marching out in two columns to the traditional notes of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, the poignant farewell tune played by Armed Forces of the world when bidding adieu to colleagues and comrades, acknowledging the first salute given to them by their immediate juniors.
