India Will Not Be Deterred By Nuclear Blackmail: CDS Chauhan

Noting that Operation Sindoor is the only example of a conflict between two nuclear-weapon states, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Tuesday that India has made it clear that that it will not be deterred by any nuclear blackmail by its western neighbour.

In an address on ‘India’s Evolving National Security Landscape’ at a programme organised by ORF and the launch of the ‘ORF Foreign Policy Survey 2024’, CDS Chauhan said the modern conflict has shown that threats can emanate from any level and escalate quickly and rapidly necessitating diligent preparation and capability to build up.

“In the spectrum of conflict, nuclear conflict lies at the extreme end of the threat spectrum. My understanding is that nuclear weapons are tools of deterrence and not war-fighting. Of late, India has also said that it will not be deterred by nuclear blackmail… Operation Sindoor is the only example of a conflict between two nuclear weapon states,” he said.

India had launched Operation Sindoor and targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

India repelled subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases.

CDS Chauhan said that the evolving challenge in the military domain is to prepare for the entire spectrum of conflict, ranging from sub-conventional, conventional to nuclear.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said on Monday that the demands for Indian defence equipment have increased following Operation Sindoor and noted that the world military expenditure has increased to over USD 2.7 trillion in 2024, and a big market is awaiting India.

He was speaking at the Controllers Conference organised by DRDO.

“The world is looking towards our Defence sector. The valour that our soldiers have shown during Operation Sindoor, as well as the way we showcased the capabilities of our domestic equipment, has led to an increase in demand for our indigenous defence products. World military expenditure has increased to over $2.7 trillion in 2024 – such a big market is awaiting us.”Singh further mentioned that India’s Defence budget is bigger than the GDP of various countries in the world, highlighting the need to utilise the resources in the right way.” the Defence Minister said.

“If you look at our Defence budget, it’s bigger than the GDP of some countries in the world. When a significant portion of people’s hard-earned income is allocated to the Defence Ministry, our responsibility increases exponentially–we ned effective growth. Our Defence expenditure should be such that not only does the budget increase, but also we should utilise it in the right way – by proper deployment at the right time for the right objective, ” he added. (ANI)