Today self-reliance in defence has become a strategic necessity: Army chief Naravane

Army chief General MM Naravane on Thursday emphasized the need for India to become self-reliant in the field of defence underlining that India is lagging behind in terms of defence mordernization compared to its adversaries.

“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”, said the Army chief.

Considering the quick pace of defence modernisation being undertaken by India’s adversaries, Naravane said, “We are lagging behind slightly.” The Army chief said that indigenous equipment needs to replace India’s dependence on foreign arms.

“Continuous and heavy dependence of Indian armed forces on equipment of foreign origin needs to be addressed through indigenous capability development,” he said.

Reviewing the year gone by, Naravane said that 2020 was unique in terms of twin challenges of Covid-19 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,” he said.