While speaking at an event at the Vivekananda International Foundation, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat on Wednesday, 7 April, identified China’s capability to carry out cyber attacks as one of the biggest threats against India and said that there is a technology gap between the two nations.
Calling it a “capability differential”, General Rawat elaborated saying, “China has been able to invest a lot of funds, allocated a lot of funds in ensuring that they imbibe technology. Therefore, they certainly have a lead over us.”
He added that the nation “is capable of launching cyber attacks and disrupting large amount of our systems.”
However, the Defence Chief said that India is also catching up, and despite being a “little slow in the start,” it is now evolving technologies as well as developing counter cyber strategies to mitigate such threats.
“We've created cyber agency within armed forces to ensure effect doesn't last long during cyber attack. We can overcome tech difference only if we integrate our three services' resources,” ANI quoted the general saying.
He informed that, "I would unhesitatingly say that the Navy is far ahead than the Army and the Air Force as far as the way they are imbibing technology," NDTV quoted.
Indicating that the Indian military is undergoing changes in the way it operates, the Chief of Defence Staff said that a series of initiatives are being undertaken that will “change the way we fight, the way we develop capability, whose aggregate effect would begin to build momentum shortly,” The Indian Express quoted.
He also emphasised the needs for India to build its own unique defence strategies and systems, saying that “Along with support that we may get from other nations, but during the times of conflict I think, we will have to learn to stand on our own two feet,” The Indian Express quoted.
General Rawat noted that military should look towards technology in a big way now, and emphasised the need for integration of the armed forces with the other security forces, like the Central Armed Police Forces.
(Inputs from ANI, The Indian Express and NDTV)
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