Raj Sadosh/Abohar

General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), visited forward areas including Gharsana in Sriganganagar and Bikaner Military Station to review the operational readiness of troops.

The COAS interacted with senior military leadership, veterans, civil dignitaries and soldiers, reiterating the Army’s focus on modernisation, combat preparedness, strengthening technological capabilities and operational excellence.

General Dwivedi felicitated veterans Lieutenant Colonel K. Hem Singh Shekhawat (Retd), Lieutenant Colonel Birbal Bishnoi (Retd), Risaldar Bhanwar Singh (Retd) and Havildar Nakat Singh (Retd) for their valuable contributions towards nation building. He also interacted with all ranks, emphasising the rapidly evolving nature of warfare and the Army’s commitment to integrating UAS and counter-UAS technologies across the operational spectrum to enhance adaptability and preparedness against emerging threats.

The COAS commended the troops for their dedication, steadfast commitment to duty and effective multi-agency coordination, while operating in the demanding desert and semi-desert terrain. He highlighted the importance of technology absorption at all levels to sustain high operational readiness.

He further underscored that the current complex security environment demands seamless synergy between the Armed Forces, government agencies, industry, academia and society, adopting a Whole-of-Nation approach to defence preparedness. He also highlighted the significance of Military-Civil Fusion and lauded the contribution of veterans in strengthening India’s defence preparedness and battlefield dominance.