New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called upon the Indian Armed Forces to strengthen both offensive and defensive capabilities to preserve the element of surprise in future warfare. Addressing the Indian Air Force (IAF) Commanders' Conference in New Delhi on November 12, 2026, he stressed the importance of stronger intelligence networks, surveillance mechanisms and technological preparedness to respond to conventional and emerging threats.
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Rajnath Singh said that military capabilities must enable India to strike adversaries without giving them time to react, while ensuring that Indian forces are never caught off guard. He highlighted that surprise in modern warfare can take conventional as well as electronic forms, requiring continuous improvements in intelligence, integration and operational readiness.
Referring to the changing character of conflicts, the Defence Minister highlighted the growing importance of drones, missiles, air defence systems and advanced weapon platforms. He urged the IAF to prepare for challenges involving kamikaze drones, surveillance and counter-drone operations, while developing dedicated doctrines and operational architectures for electronic, cyber and space warfare.
During the conference, Singh also launched a series of indigenous Artificial Intelligence applications developed by the IAF's AI Centre of Excellence under the Unit for Digitisation, Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Application Networking (UDAAN). The applications are designed to automate and accelerate activities across operations, administration and aerospace safety. They have been deployed on the IAF's secure network to support technology-driven operational and organisational efficiency.
The Defence Minister also highlighted lessons from Operation Sindoor, particularly the importance of drones, air defence systems and coordinated operations among the three Services. He emphasised that future military effectiveness will depend not merely on the number of aircraft or platforms, but also on technological sophistication, speed of response, precision and jointness.
The two-day Commanders' Conference, themed 'The Year of Empowerment: Maximising Efficiency Through Decentralisation', brings together senior IAF leadership to deliberate on operational, maintenance and administrative priorities. The launch of UDAAN-developed AI applications reflected the Air Force's continuing efforts to integrate indigenous digital technologies into its institutional and operational framework.
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