Army chief calls for self-reliance in Defence, says 'it has become strategic necessity'

In a virtual event with the arms-industry partnership, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane opined that India is "lagging behind slightly" in terms of defence modernisation as against the adversaries. He called for addressing the requirements of armed forces through indigenous capability development. The Army chief called for self-reliance in defence, terming it a "strategic necessity".

"Today self-reliance in defence has become a strategic necessity. It is imperative for us to invest in building long term indigenous capabilities for application across the entire spectrum of conflict. Considering the quick pace of defence modernisation being undertaken by our adversaries, we are lagging behind slightly," he said. 

"The continuous and heavy dependence of Indian armed forces on equipment of foreign origin needs to be addressed through indigenous capability development," he added.

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'Twin challenges in 2020'

The Army chief recalled the events of the last year when the pandemic had disrupted the supply chain and compelled the country to focus on self-reliance, including the defence sector amid the escalations at the northern frontiers with China.

"2020 was a unique year with twin challenges of the COVID pandemic and the belligerence on the northern borders. The events of the past year have brought to the fore the vulnerability of global supply chains, underscoring the need for self-reliance," the Army chief said while adding that self-reliance will enable the country to depend on itself in all areas and become the main player in the global economy.

"Niche technologies, including artificial intelligence, autonomous unmanned systems, long-range precision technology, quantum computing, swarm drones are a better few and all these will certainly need to be acquired and absorbed as part of our deliberate and continuous process," he said.

According to reports, the Defence Budget this year is said to witness an unprecedented hike with the focus on self-reliance and increased procurement of indigenous arms and ammunition. The armed forces are most likely to undergo a five-year modernisation program. According to defence sources, the budget may be hiked in view of the possibility of war on two fronts [Pakistan and China] amid the ongoing tension along the border.

(with inputs from ANI)

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