Srinagar/New Delhi, Nov 12 (KNO): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that lessons learnt during ‘Operation Sindoor’ were shaping the Indian Air Force’s evolving operational procedures.
Addressing the Air Force Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi, Singh as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said the changing nature of warfare demanded greater preparedness against conventional and emerging threats, stressing technological superiority, jointness and the element of surprise.
He said the Indian Air Force must remain prepared for new challenges, including kamikaze drones, surveillance and counter-drone operations, while developing dedicated doctrines for emerging domains such as electronic, cyber and space warfare.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, the Defence Minister commended the Air Force for effectively implementing its operational doctrines and methods during and after the operation, praising the professionalism, restraint and judgement displayed by air warriors.
He said the lessons from the operation were reflected in the Air Force’s evolving procedures, particularly its increased emphasis on drones and air defence systems, which have become critical components of modern warfare.
Highlighting the coordinated role of all three services during Operation Sindoor, Singh said jointness and integrated efforts must continue to guide military planning and operational execution.
The Defence Minister also called for strengthening both offensive and defensive capabilities to ensure that adversaries are left with little time to react, while India’s own forces remain prepared for unexpected threats. “Victory in future conflicts would depend not merely on the number of aircraft, but also on technological sophistication, speed of response and precision of preparations,” he said.
During the conference, Singh also launched a suite of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications developed in-house by the Indian Air Force’s Centre of Excellence under the Unit for Digitisation, Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Application Networking (UDAAN).
The applications, deployed on the Air Force's secure network, will help automate and expedite tasks related to operations, administration and aerospace safety.
The 2-day conference is being attended by senior Air Force commanders and focuses on operational, maintenance and administrative priorities under the theme ‘The Year of Empowerment: Maximising Efficiency Through Decentralisation’—(KNO)