Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday launched India’s first integrated Defence communication network to enable the Army, IAF, Navy and Strategic Forces Command to share real-time information on a secure system, thereby, enabling faster decision making process.
The strategic network based on optical fibre system will integrate the entire country from ladakh to North-East to island territories of Minicoy and lakshwadeep besides all major commands of the three services, officials said after the defence minister inaugurated the system here.
Underlining the importance of the system, Parrikar stressed the need to keep the network completely secure all the time. He said a false sense of security and safety should not creep in and the Standard Operating Procedures should be followed. He also said this network is a step towards jointmanship and synergy that the government is pushing for in the armed forces.
While all the three forces have their own command, communication and intelligence networks, this is the first time when there will be a dedicated network for greater synergy. “Technology decides how the wars are fought these days. The network has a pan-India reach and is a testimony to the fact that Indian
Army and the Corps of Signals are well placed to meet any challenges and responsibilities which come their way,” lt Gen Nitin Kohli, Signal Officer in Chief, said.
The network worth over Rs600 crore assures high quality voice, video and data services covering 111 entities spread across the country. It is capable of working on terrestrial as well as satellite mode of communication and has also been fixed onboard different military vehicles.
The inaugural event was attended by Chairman, Chief of Staff Committee and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Chief of the Army Staff General Dalbir Singh Suhag, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil lanba and senior officers from the three Services and Ministry of Defence.
