Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had decided to create the overarching defence planning committee under the national security advisor to decide on the country’s military and security strategies along with acceleration of acquisitions
National security advisor Ajit Doval will on Friday head a key meeting of the newly-formed defence planning committee, which will discuss the operational directives to be given to the armed forces on the way they will fight wars in future.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had decided to create the overarching defence planning committee (DPC) under the national security advisor to decide on the country’s military and security strategies along with acceleration of acquisitions.
The last time operational directives to the forces - known as ‘Raksha Mantri’s Op Directives’ - were given in 2008, according to which they have to be ready for a two-front war with China and Pakistan.
The committee is expected to chalk out the outline to be given to the forces on the future strategy on fighting wars, the sources said.
The key members to attend the meeting include the three services chiefs, defence secretary Sanjay Mitra and bureaucratic heads of finance and external affairs ministry along with the integrated defence staff chief.
The DPC has also been seen as creation of a step between the defence secretary and the defence minister for clearance of files and issues related to the three services.
The DPC will be a permanent body chaired by the national security adviser and will prepare draft reports on “national security strategy, international defence engagement strategy, roadmap to build (a) defence manufacturing ecosystem, strategy to boost defence exports, and priority capability development plans”, according to the notification of the committee. It will submit its reports to defence minister Sitharaman.
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