New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- Surprise, technological superiority and jointness will be critical to boosting the operational readiness of the armed forces to meet future security challenges, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.

Identifying potential threats before they unfold is equally important, he said.

Charting the way forward for military preparedness at the Air Force Commanders' Conference, he said, "Our defence forces must develop capabilities and methods that leave the adversary with no time to react or recover, while simultaneously ensuring that we are never caught off guard. Surprise can manifest in various forms, both conventional and electronic. Our intelligence and surveillance mechanisms must be further strengthened to r...