LIKABALI, 24 Mar: Governor KT Parnaik said that India must strengthen its capabilities in cyber defence, satellite surveillance, electronic warfare, and AI-enabled intelligence systems.
Speaking during a two-day ‘China seminar’ at the military station here in Lower Siang district, the governor said that China and its armed forces emphasise on integrated and centralised command and control, ensuring seamless coordination among different services through networked systems and joint theatre commands capable of launching multi-domain operations. He said that it demonstrates the importance of understanding and shaping the security environment, combining military readiness with information dominance and strategic signaling.
The governor highlighted that the Chinese invest heavily in cyber capabilities, recognising cyberspace as a critical domain for both defence and offensive operations. He said that it prioritises electronic warfare and spectrum dominance, using electronic surveillance, jamming, and countermeasures to disrupt adversaries while protecting its own communications.
“The Chinese armed forces are rapidly advancing autonomous and intelligent systems, including unmanned platforms and AI-enabled decision support, to enhance operational speed, situational awareness, and battlefield effectiveness in modern warfare,” he said.
Parnaik said that, to effectively counter potential aggression from the People’s Liberation Army, India must continue enhancing and strengthening a unified command under chief of defence staff through fully integrated theatre commands. “Faster decision-making, unified command structures, and improved logistics along the Himalayan border will ensure rapid mobilisation and coordinated operations in any contingency,” he said.
The governor further said that modern conflicts extend beyond traditional battlefields. Enhancing institutions like the Defence Cyber Agency and the Defence Space Agency will help secure communications, disrupt adversary networks, and maintain information dominance, he said.
Sharing his experience of more than 40 years in the defence force, the governor said that strategic cooperation with partners such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue strengthens deterrence and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Joint exercises, intelligence sharing, and coordinated maritime presence improve collective preparedness and send a clear signal against unilateral aggression, he said, adding that joint military readiness, technological superiority, and strong alliances would create a robust deterrence framework capable of maintaining stability and safeguarding national interests. (Lok Bhavan)
