Article Posted on : - Jul 12, 2017

NEW DELHI (PTI): A special operations division and separate defence cyber and space agencies will soon be set up, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra told a conference of top military commanders Tuesday, amid India's efforts to bolster its external security apparatus.

The special operations division as well as cyber and space agencies will come up under the tri-services framework involving the Navy, Air Force and the Army.

Setting up of the new agencies as well as need to strengthen overall security infrastructure were discussed threadbare at the two-day-long Unified Commanders' Conference – an annual forum of defence policy makers – which concluded on Tuesday.

"During the conference, the Defence Secretary apprised the audience that the defence cyber and space agencies and special operations division will soon become a reality," the defence ministry said in a statement.

Addressing the conference, Navy Chief Adm. Sunil Lanba stressed on the significance of "synergised execution" of operational plans and encouraged all to ensure rigorous cost benefit analysis while creating any new structures, the defence ministry said.

Adm. Lanba is also the Chairman of the powerful Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) which comprises the Army, the Navy and the IAF chiefs.

The conference, attended by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, NSA Ajit Doval, the three service chiefs and other senior military commanders, took stock of the security challenges facing the nation and the regional power play.

The ministry said the conference discussed all relevant issues including functional and operational synergy among the armed forces and enhancement of training curriculum for its personnel.

One of the highlights was the presentation on 'Big Data towards Insightful Decision Making', by the prestigious College of Defence Management. This concept has already been introduced in training curriculum of select senior military officers, the ministry said.

It said the "joint curriculum" in the prestigious defence services staff college, one of the oldest tri-services institutions in the world, has been increased to over 60 per cent, thus paving the way for an enhanced shared perspective in executing joint operations.

"With the purpose of making the military physical training even more scientific, a decision to incorporate Sports Medicine in the methodology of training cadets, recruits and combat soldiers was also taken," said the ministry.