Actually every brick should be developed in India, then only we can say, we are fully Aatmanirbhar. If there are some components for which we are still relying on some other country then obviously we can be fall prey to that country, throttling those supplies – IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh

Picture : ANI/X

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh has  pitched for achieving greater self-reliance in building unmanned aerial systems and other critical defence technologies, as he emphasised that “technology delayed is technology denied” and there is no point having something which comes after others have already got it.

As reported by PTI, In his address at an event in New Delhi, he also said there are “discussions happening between us and the ministry of civil aviation, and other ministries involved” so that “we finally should be able to recognise a drone, whether it is a bona fide drone or a rogue drone”.

“We should be able to have no fratricide, in terms of we shooting down our own drones or taking down something that is meant for us,” he said.

At a workshop hosted by the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), and attended by various defence military and industry experts, the air chief marshal also spoke about integration of manned platforms and drones and other unmanned aerial systems (UAS), which would share the same airspace.

“Integration is very important. We have manned platforms and long-range vectors which will continue to use the same airspace where the drones are going to come in. I am talking about a whole range of drones, from a small micro or mini drone to a UAS which is like a full aircraft, but unmanned.

“Everybody is going to use the same airspace. So man, whether in the loop, on the loop, at least in planning, in terms of control, feedback system, situational awareness, we need to know each other’s positions, and understand how an airspace is going to be used, whether it is procedural control or active control,” he said.

The IAF chief added that if drones are to be miniaturised, and if their weights would go down, even the payloads to be used, whether a weapon or a camera or any other payload, also has to be miniaturised.

“And while doing this, we have to get down to the absolute… I mean to say, every brick has to be made in India. Actually every brick should be developed in India, then only we can say, we are fully Aatmanirbhar. If there are some components for which we are still relying on some other country then obviously we can be fall prey to that country, throttling those supplies,” he said.

In his address, the IAF chief, however, emphasised that technology development should be swift as with the advent of disruptive technologies, things are changing fast and every day some new thing is coming out.

“So, obviously that worry which was told that we should not miss the bus, we should not be left behind. It’s something that should be guiding us, pushing us all the time.