Article Posted on : - Jul 30, 2018

NEW DELHI (PTI): India's top military brass on Monday began deliberations on the country's external security challenges and explored ways to further bolster defence preparedness.

The Unified Commanders' Conference (UCC), an annual forum to take stock of the country's security preparedness, also deliberated on a range of issues including counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the situation along the Sino-India border, officials said.

The two-day conference is being attended by chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force and senior military commanders of the three forces besides officials from the Defence Ministry.

Issues relating to the three services including ways to ensure convergence among them were discussed at the conference.

The Defence Ministry said the scope of this year's conference has been enhanced to facilitate joint stock taking of the previous year's performance of all services and departments of the ministry and jointly chart the course for the next year.

"A large number of tri services issues would be deliberated thoroughly to arrive at solutions to challenges faced and to evolve plans for the future," the ministry said.

The conference is being held under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS).