Synopsis by enewstime desk: At a FICCI defence seminar, Lt Gen Rahul R Singh emphasized India’s pressing need to fortify its indigenous air defence systems. Highlighting geopolitical threats, the Deputy Army Chief accused China of using Pakistan as a proxy to test military hardware in active conflict zones.
New Delhi, July 4, 2025: In a stark appraisal of India’s defence landscape, Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance), underscored the urgent need for indigenous capability enhancement across air defence, surveillance, and drone warfare.
Speaking at a FICCI defence seminar on Friday, he cautioned that India’s adversaries—led by China and acting through proxies like Pakistan—are transforming regional conflicts into real-time testing grounds for military innovation.
He stressed the need to strengthen indigenous air defence systems. While some homegrown systems performed commendably during Operation Sindoor, others exposed crucial shortcomings.
“We cannot afford advanced systems like Israel’s Iron Dome due to our geographical vastness and resource constraints. Yet, protecting our population hubs through multi-layered air defence is non-negotiable,” he asserted.
The Lieutenant General also highlighted the rapidly evolving role of drones, anti-drone technologies, and long-range artillery in contemporary warfare.
“This is a constantly evolving challenge—it’s a cat-and-mouse race, and we must accelerate our response,” he said.
He emphasized the urgent requirement to boost India’s C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) framework, noting its critical role in achieving operational superiority and enabling efficient civil-military coordination.
Commenting on the recent counter-terror operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation to a deadly attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead, Lt Gen Singh stated that a staggering 81% of Pakistan’s military procurements over the past five years have originated from China. “China prefers to wage war through its allies rather than confront adversaries directly,” he remarked.
He described ongoing conflicts in the region as serving as “live laboratories” for China to evaluate its weapons and combat capabilities—a strategy he warned must be viewed with utmost seriousness.
Lt Gen Singh further noted that India faces the unique challenge of managing one border shared with multiple adversaries.
“While Pakistan has always been at the forefront, it is being backed extensively by China. Additionally, Turkey has provided considerable support in recent times,” he said.
Sharing insights from high-level military communications, he revealed that during DGMO-level talks, Pakistan seemed to receive real-time intelligence from China about India’s defence vectors, suggesting deep operational coordination between the two nations.
Operation Sindoor not only revealed areas for improvement in India’s defence infrastructure but also underscored the expanding military nexus among China, Pakistan, and Turkey, he concluded. (Edited)
