India is prepared for 'swift and short' wars in future, says Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh

New Delhi: Accusing Pakistan of using “new methods” for creating unrest in Jammu and Kashmir and extending the arc of violence to other areas, Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh on Tuesday said India is prepared for “swift and short” wars in the future. Addressing the Tri-Service Seminar on the 1965 Indo-Pak War, the Army Chief said, “(Because of) the frequent ceasefire violations and infiltration bids by our western neighbour, the borders remain live and active. New methods continue to be employed to create unrest in J-K. [caption id=“attachment_2281356” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Army chief Dalbir Singh. PTI[/caption] “We are acutely aware that the swift, short nature of future wars are likely to offer limited warning time – this calls for maintaining very high levels of operational preparedness at all times.” Singh also noted that the recent instances of terrorist violence are “clear pointers to extend this arc of violence to other areas”. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who also spoke at the event, said the security situation is more complex and nuanced than earlier. “Therefore, we need to be vigilant taking into account all dimension so that all emerging challenges are suitably addressed,” he said. Agreeing with the Army Chief that the 1965 war had dealt a heavy blow to Pakistan, the defence minister said Pakistan paid for its “misadventure” and India had clearly won the war even though sceptics maintained it was a draw. A cursory analysis of 1965 war highlights the fact that the entire military establishment of the nation needs to “constantly refine its capabilities in order to ensure counter to any hostile environment,” he added. Parrikar also praised the leadership of then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. On his part, Gen Singh said the war displayed “bold leadership” at all levels. PTI