Global changes creating volatile environment, uncertainty: CDS

BENGALURU: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Saturday said the ongoing geo-political, economic and technological changes are creating uncertainty in the world, and an environment that is volatile, complex and ambiguous.

He said nations are preparing themselves for this uncertain kind of future and it is reflective in most of their national security strategies and defence spending.

The CDS delivered the 14th Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture organised by Air Force Association (Karnataka Branch), in association with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) here.

“If you have a look at national security strategies, countries like — Japan, France, Germany, (the) UK, Poland, South Korea, Bangladesh and many others have revived their national security strategies. They actually revived at the time of the Ukraine conflict, but now bigger change is happening in the Middle East,” Chauhan said.

“If you look at defence spending of most of these nations they have expanded, almost doubled it up,” he pointed out. Whether the defence industry globally is ready to meet the demand of these nations, that remains to be seen, the CDS said.

“This is where I say, lies a bit of opportunity for us.

The environment which is shaping creates an opportunity for the defence industry for the future.”

Pointing to the change in the nature and character of warfare, which is technology driven, with domains like -- space, cyber-- he said, “we have to be prepared for it.”

“The change which is happening is inevitable and India, like others, is at the major crossroads of history and actions that we take today will define India’s status in the next 25 years,” Chauhan said.

He also said, “when we look at the military preparedness of the nation, we are looking at a strong army, navy and air force , also space and cyberspace.”

Averring that currently the global geo-political environment is in a state of flux, the CDS said, “ in fact the world will be transiting between two orders, the old order is withering away, and the shapes and contours of the new world order are yet to stabilise. To predict how it will be in the times to come will be rather difficult.”