Air Chief Marshal A P Singh has emphasised that future wars cannot be fought by individual services, highlighting the necessity of jointness among the armed forces.

He made these remarks during the commissioning of INS Malvan, the second Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, at Karwar in Karnataka.

He stated that military technologies must be developed at a pace that ensures their relevance, warning that “technology delayed is technology denied.” His comments underscored the urgency of indigenous research and development to keep India’s defence capabilities aligned with global advancements.

Singh stressed that no future conflict will be won by a single service. He noted that whether in the blue of the Air Force, the white of the Navy, or the olive green of the Army, all services must fight together as one nation. He added that this collective mission has gained momentum over the past four to five years, particularly after the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff post, and will continue to grow stronger.

The commissioning ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, along with senior naval officers, veterans and representatives of Cochin Shipyard Limited. Their presence reflected the importance of this milestone in India’s naval modernisation.

Singh highlighted the critical role of maritime security in India’s growth, noting that maritime routes determine trade, and trade determines destiny. He stressed the importance of the Indian Ocean region and praised the Navy’s role in securing sea lines of communication, ensuring uninterrupted trade and economic progress.

Without directly naming the Iran-US conflict, he pointed to recent global developments that reinforced the belief that secure sea lines of communication and free trade are essential for national success.

He commended the Navy’s progress in indigenous shipbuilding and urged the aviation sector to emulate this model. He explained how naval officers are embedded in shipbuilding projects from the outset, growing within the system and continuing to contribute even after retirement. He suggested that the Indian Air Force should adopt a similar approach to accelerate self-reliance in aviation.

Singh acknowledged that the Air Force has taken longer to achieve self-reliance compared to the Navy, due to the varying timelines required by different sectors. However, he affirmed that the Air Force is steadily moving closer to its goal.

He noted that INS Malvan contains around 80 per cent indigenous content by value, a testament to the success of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. While some components are still sourced or co-produced abroad, he expressed confidence that these gaps will be bridged in time.

Singh reiterated that indigenous R&D and production capabilities must advance rapidly to remain relevant. He warned that if development lags behind global trends, the effort loses meaning. He described the current growth of indigenous capabilities as encouraging, though acknowledged that more progress is needed.

He praised the Navy for inducting its seventh warship this year and commended Cochin Shipyard and the Navy’s project teams for successfully delivering INS Malvan.

Referring to Naval Base Karwar, Singh described it as one of the world’s most modern naval bases and a symbol of India’s maritime strategic vision under Project Seabird, an ambitious naval infrastructure program.

PTI