Need to counter enemy's information and influence operations in social media: Army Vice Chief

New Delhi [India], February 4 (ANI): Army Vice Chief Lieutenant General Manoj Pande on Friday said that there is a need to shed the classic war and peace disposition and enhance inter-agency cohesion.
"We need to shed the classic war and peace disposition and enhance inter-agency cohesion. In fact, the critical need for all organs of the State to work in unison towards the National Objective has been the core takeaway of the past year," Lt Gen Pande said while addressing a seminar.
Highlighting the need to look counter "Information and Influence Operations" online, he said, "We also need to address the techno-social realm ie the social media, in order to evaluate the rise of current and emerging trends and arrive at measures to counter Information and Influence Operations, such as deep fakes and bots, with a focus on perception change and policy safeguards."
To succeed in war, Lt Gen Pande said that we will have to be pro-active in building a Credible Deterrence, thereby, defeating the adversary's efforts to achieve its strategic goals and deterring military escalation.
"We are cognisant of these requirements" he added.
Laying emphasis on the Army's active role in countering conflicts, Lt Gen Pande said, "To build capabilities and capacities to fight in a multi-dimensional war, the Indian Army is actively involved in modernising and evolving, keeping the future of conflicts in mind. At present, the Indian Army is building a credible and balanced force posture, to deter escalation towards an armed conflict."
Lt Gen Manoj Pande recently took over as the new Vice Chief of the Indian Army after commanding the eastern command which looks after all northeastern states sharing borders with China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. (ANI)