Chief of Indian Army, General Bipin Rawat, on Monday, highlighted the need to reduce imports in the defence technology and become self-reliant. Speaking at an Army Technology Seminar in Delhi, Rawat said, “We would like to gradually move away from imports (in defence technology) because for a nation like ours, the time has come to ensure that we fight the next war with home-made solutions.” He pointed out the need for modernisation in the armed forces by saying, “There is a huge requirement of modernization of our armed forces, in every field. The future wars will be fought in difficult terrains and circumstances and we have to be prepared for them.” He also appreciated the progress that has been made in the area of defence technology. He said, “Good headway has been made in light-weight bullet-proof material and fuel cell technology. The journey has begun and this must continue, we are confident that if we get support from the industry we will walk the extra mile to ensure that we utilize the technology you give us.”
This is not the first time that the Army Chief has commented on the crucial need for equipping the armed forces with the latest that technology has to offer. In November, he had spoken about armoured vehicles in the future should have the ability to operate on both northern and western borders. “Whatever be the future armoured vehicle we are looking at, we must have the capability to operate on the western border and the northern border. Whatever equipment we are going to introduce must be capable of interoperability on both fronts,” he had previously said.
As per various media reports, in a New Year message, Rawat had complimented the army for successfully meeting external as well as internal challenges with grit, determination and pride during 2017. “Our unflinching loyalty, commitment to the nation and apolitical stance, confers on us a uniqueness that we must preserve,” he said.