ID :
153589
Thu, 12/16/2010 - 05:38
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/153589
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Some nations misconstrue India's military modernisation: Antony
New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) India's Defence Minister A K
Antony on Wednesday said India's armed forces modernisation
was "often misconstrued" by some nations and asserted that the
country had a proven track record of harnessing military
technology for "peaceful and non-violent" purposes.
"Our efforts at strengthening our Armed Forces are often
misconstrued by some nations. India has a proven track record
of harnessing technology for peaceful and non-violent purposes
and ones essentially aimed to strengthen our defence
capabilities," he said without naming Pakistan or China as
countries that may have those apprehensions.
"Translated in the context of aerospace industry, it would
mean enhancing military and dual-use technology that would
benefit our armed forces and also have spin-off benefits for
the civil populace," he said delivering a lecture at an
international aerospace seminar here.
He said armed forces modernisation remained on the top of
the government's priority list. "However, despite our best
intentions and earmarking huge budgets and allocating money,
the modernisation efforts have not borne the desired results,"
he said.
Several procurement plans of the armed forces have been
lagging behind, which included the Army's artillery
modernisation, Navy's augmenting of its fast-depleting
submarine fleet and the IAF's air defence capabilities and
MiG-series fighter aircraft that have reached the obsolescence
stage.
However, the armed forces are in the process of procuring
artillery guns, medium multi-role fighter aircraft and new
submarines for the forces and it is estimated that the
procurement plans over the next 10 years is worth USD 100
billion.
Antony said the Defence Ministry should "continuously
reduce and even eliminate procedural delays and bottlenecks"
in its procurement procedures.
"It is with this realisation that we have put in place a
Defence Procurement Procedure that is amended every year to
speed up procurement and bring in fairness and transparency to
the system," he said. (MORE) PTI
Antony on Wednesday said India's armed forces modernisation
was "often misconstrued" by some nations and asserted that the
country had a proven track record of harnessing military
technology for "peaceful and non-violent" purposes.
"Our efforts at strengthening our Armed Forces are often
misconstrued by some nations. India has a proven track record
of harnessing technology for peaceful and non-violent purposes
and ones essentially aimed to strengthen our defence
capabilities," he said without naming Pakistan or China as
countries that may have those apprehensions.
"Translated in the context of aerospace industry, it would
mean enhancing military and dual-use technology that would
benefit our armed forces and also have spin-off benefits for
the civil populace," he said delivering a lecture at an
international aerospace seminar here.
He said armed forces modernisation remained on the top of
the government's priority list. "However, despite our best
intentions and earmarking huge budgets and allocating money,
the modernisation efforts have not borne the desired results,"
he said.
Several procurement plans of the armed forces have been
lagging behind, which included the Army's artillery
modernisation, Navy's augmenting of its fast-depleting
submarine fleet and the IAF's air defence capabilities and
MiG-series fighter aircraft that have reached the obsolescence
stage.
However, the armed forces are in the process of procuring
artillery guns, medium multi-role fighter aircraft and new
submarines for the forces and it is estimated that the
procurement plans over the next 10 years is worth USD 100
billion.
Antony said the Defence Ministry should "continuously
reduce and even eliminate procedural delays and bottlenecks"
in its procurement procedures.
"It is with this realisation that we have put in place a
Defence Procurement Procedure that is amended every year to
speed up procurement and bring in fairness and transparency to
the system," he said. (MORE) PTI
