New Delhi, July 27 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday described advanced ammunition as the reality of the "new age warfare," adding that it is a must for India, given its regional and global imperatives, besides security challenges.
He called for innovations in the field of ammunition for the creation of a strong and self-reliant base that keeps the armed forces fully prepared to deal with future challenges.
He was addressing the inaugural session of the second conference on Military Ammunition (Ammo India) on the theme ‘Make in India Opportunities and Challenges’ here.
"Scientific and technological as well as economic development of a nation is reflected in the capacity of its weapons and ammunition. The development of ammunition is crucial not only for security, but also for socio-economic progress of the country," he said.
"For India to become a world power and one of the leading countries in defence production, we must move forward in the indigenous design, development and production of ammunition," he added.
The Minister asserted that the government understands the crucial role private sector can play in strengthening the defence sector and to enhance their participation in the field of ammunition, many barriers, which were earlier prevalent, have been removed.
He exhorted the public and private sectors, research and development establishments, start-ups, academia and individual innovators to explore newer avenues, which can create a base that caters to the needs of the Armed Forces, ensuring their enhanced preparedness.
He also emphasised the importance of precision guided ammunition, saying that it will play a major role in future warfare, equal to weapons/platforms, due to its constantly evolving nature.
"The employment of precision guided ammunition at ‘Muntho Dhalo’ base played an important role in India’s victory in 1999 Kargil war. Precision strike of ammunition during 2019 strikes on terror camps in Balakot also ensured our success in the operation," he said.
"Ammunition in modern battlefields is emerging in its new avatar, which once programmed, can automatically take inputs, make course corrections and target the appropriate location at the right time. Earlier, only the size and explosive capacity of bombs mattered, but now their smartness is equally important," he added.
The two-day conference, jointly organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), will cover an extensive range of ammunition requirements of the armed forces.
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