Article Posted on : - Sep 15, 2015

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Combined Commanders' Conference of the three services of defence will be held in Kochi next month, most likely on-board aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, and for the first time outside the national capital.

The move came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address at the Combined Commanders' Conference at New Delhi in October last year had suggested that the Armed Forces could organise such conferences on ships at sea, or in forward area cantonments or air-bases, instead of only in the national capital.

"The Combined Commanders' Conference will be held in Kochi against operational background on October 10," a Navy official said.

Sources said the meeting is likely to take place onboard INS Vikramaditya.

The conference is attended by Prime Minister, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and other senior members of the Cabinet.

The Combined Commanders' Conference, also known as the Unified Commanders' Conference, is crucial as national defence policy, doctrine and operational challenges are discussed in detail.

Asking the armed forces to be prepared for a "future where security challenges will be less predictable...threats may be known, but the enemy may be invisible", Modi had last time said "full-scale wars may become rare, but force will remain an instrument of deterrence and influencing behaviour, and the duration of conflicts will be shorter".

Meanwhile, Indian Navy's latest destroyer INS Kochi would be inducted later this month in Mumbai by the Defence Minister.