Can’t win wars with borrowed tech: Pande

By Our Special Correspondent

Indian Army Chief General MK Pandey on Thursday called for indigenization of defense equipment and ammunition.

He asserted that the geostrategic security environment has witnessed significant changes in recent times, leading to a re-examination of the established world order, hence self-sufficiency as a "strategic imperative".

Speaking at an event, General Pandey said, "India's security challenges stem from geopolitical dynamics at the global and regional level. These include the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as the instability and political uncertainty we see in our neighborhood.

Addressing the 'Ammo India 2022' conference jointly organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers, the Army Chief said, "Our interests are best served by being self-reliant, especially in defense productions. We cannot win future battles on borrowed technology." Center for Commerce & Industry and Joint Warfare Studies.

Commenting on the recent move towards indigenization, General Pandey said, "Our external dependence on arms and ammunition is a matter of concern and the reversal of this trend in recent years is very encouraging."

The contemporary security environment and the changing nature of warfare make it a necessary requirement and mandate for our armed conflicts to pose broader challenges in the conventional and sub-conventional domains.

The army chief pointed to the pandemic and the standoff with the Chinese PLA along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh as watershed events.

This pandemic is a major watershed event of our time, a time when global supply chains have been severely disrupted and it has now set a new normal for the way we do business, General Pandey said.

This period also saw a standoff on our northern borders and these twin situations amply brought home and reinforced the fact that self-sufficiency in defense needs is greater than ever before.

Speaking about the discussions held during the two-day event, the Army Chief said, "The details discussed among various stakeholders will help India take forward indigenous production of ammunition."