Synopsis of Seminar Outcome Presented by Four Major Groups

The synopsis of the outcome of the two-day long deliberations at the Colombo Defence Seminar (CDS) that was presented by four expert panels as curtains were about to come down on the sessions pin pointed how the trajectory of security issues in focus should be managed in the context of political will, civil involvement, civil-military bonds, prevention of radicalization and extremism, cultural and ethnic interactions, hard power and soft power, new counter insurgent strategies, ethno-religious tension, collective cooperation, art of chage with Internet exposures, expansion of IT and Digital technology, changing nature of battlefield challenges, legal implications and hybrid threats, etc

Major General Prabath Dematampitiya, Commandant, DSCSC in the Group A presentation stressed the need for a political will for the military to come in for civil assistance in emergencies and identified radicalization and extremism as the latest identified and fast emerging threats which need to be addressed through healthy and combined civil-military manoeuvres. His group agreed that the military involvement in the absence of challenges be restricted.

The Group B presentation, submitted by Air Vice Marshal Prasanna Payoe, Director Training, SLAF talked of hard power and soft power, new counter insurgent strategies, ethno- religious tension, cooperation with all stakeholders and organizations and the changing nature of warfare and free availability of the tactics via the internet.

Similarly, the Group C led by Rear Admiral Ruwan Perera, Commander North Western, Naval Area in their presentation highlighted issues pertaining to use of Information Technology for military and logistic purposes, introduction of the digital science to battlefield, use of the new techno, inventions, legal implications of those issues and resolution of matters in bilaterally and multilaterally agreeable manner.

Major General Aruna Jayasekara, Commander, SFHQ (E) Head of the Group D in his briefing touched on vital nature and character of the battlefield as it is changing fast, importance of military as a core component in a country as a nation, recognition of non-state actors, religious extremism, conceptual, physical change or emotional change in a warfare context, duty of the military to keep a nation safe and protected and looming recently-identified Hybrid threats. Nike footwear | Nike News