National security is the Government’s top-most priority and it is committed to protect the sovereignty, unity & integrity of the country. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was addressing a ‘National Security Conclave’ in Jammu on June 26, 2023.
Rejecting speculative reports on the price and other terms of purchase of MQ-9B drones from the US, the defence minister clarified that the Ministry of Defence will compare the acquisition cost of the drones with the best price General Atomics (GA) offered to other countries.
He added that the acquisition will be made only by following the established procurement procedure.
On building capabilities for the Indian armed forces, the defence minister highlighted that no stone is being left unturned to equip the military with the latest weaponry and modern technology, assuring the Nation that the Armed Forces are fully capable of protecting the borders and the seas.
“Our goal is to bring our Armed Forces to the frontline of modern militaries,” he said.
On the border situation, he said the Chinese Army ignored the agreed protocols and unilaterally tried to change the status quo on the LAC. He lauded the valour and dedication of the Indian Army which prevented the attempts by PLA to change the status quo.
Rajnath Singh reiterated the Government’s stand to resolve the border issue through dialogue and in a peaceful manner. He added that the talks are continuing at military and diplomatic levels to resolve the dispute. He assured the nation that the Government will never compromise on India’s border, its honour and self-respect. “We will never let the sanctity of our borders be violated,” he added.
The defence minister added that India-US defence cooperation has grown rapidly with the expansion of military-to-military engagements, information sharing and cooperation in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, cyber, space and mutual logistics support.
He termed the Prime Minister’s recent visit to the US as a landmark event, which ushered the bilateral defence cooperation into a new era.
Rajnath Singh mentioned about the General Electric (GE) Aerospace-Hindustan Aeronautics Limited deal to co-produce F-414 fighter jet engines in India. “With this deal, we will become the fourth country to manufacture jet engines.
Tejas aircraft will be fitted with these Made in India engines,” he said.