Jodhpur: Defence minister Rajnath Singh Saturday said future military strength would depend on a country’s ability to detect threats, assess situations and respond swiftly, as artificial intelligence (AI), drones and electronic warfare transform modern combat.Addressing the closing ceremony of the multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti-2026 at Jodhpur Air Force Station, Singh stressed the need to strengthen indigenous defence manufacturing and advanced military technologies to meet emerging security challenges.He said no country could sustain a prolonged conflict under uncertain circumstances without the capacity to manufacture its own weapons and develop critical technologies.Singh said India’s armed forces were undergoing structural, technological and strategic transformation. Unmanned systems and drones had changed the pace and scale of military operations, while AI was reshaping battlefield decision-making.Information, precision, speed and coordination between military systems would determine outcomes in future conflicts, he said, adding that electronic warfare required effective control over the electromagnetic spectrum.“Modern warfare was no longer confined to land, sea and air, with space, cyberspace, the electromagnetic spectrum and the information domain emerging as increasingly important operational areas,” he said.Highlighting indigenous capabilities, Singh cited the Tejas fighter aircraft and Akash missile defence system as examples of India’s technological progress. He expressed confidence that the country would make significant progress in developing fifth-generation fighter aircraft.The minister also called for deeper defence partnerships with friendly nations through joint research, development, training and co-production, rather than limiting cooperation to purchasing aircraft and weapons.Singh said the exercise, attended by observers from 32 countries, would strengthen mutual trust and facilitate the exchange of operational experience.
