Indigenous weapons showcase tri-service firepower at ‘Bharat Shakti’ military drill

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today witnessed a synergised demonstration of indigenous defence capabilities in the form of a tri-service live fire and manoeuvre exercise at Pokhran, Rajasthan.

The exercise named ‘Bharat Shakti’ had on display an array of indigenous weapon systems and platforms.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister said, “It is the same Pokhran that witnessed India’s nuclear test and today, we are seeing the power of indigenisation. Pokhran is witness to the trinity of India’s ‘aatmanirbharta (self-reliance)’, belief (vishwas) and self-pride (aatma-gaurav).”

“The strength of the armed forces increases manifold when weapons and equipment used in wars are made indigenously,” he said. Referring to the recent Cabinet decision to design, develop and manufacture 5th generation fighter jets in India, the Prime Minister said India had emerged as a defence exporter and mentioned an eight-fold increase in the country’s defence exports compared to 2014.

Recalling defence “scams”, scarcity of ammunition and deterioration of ordnance factories before 2014, the Prime Minister talked about the corporatisation of the ordnance factories into seven big companies. Similarly, HAL was brought back from the brink and turned into a company with record profit.

Speaking about the test firing of the long-range Agni V missile equipped with advanced MIRV technology yesterday, the Prime Minister said “only a handful of countries in the world have a hold on this technology”.

The Prime Minister congratulated the chiefs of all three armed forces for preparing lists of items that would no longer be imported and for supporting indigenous manufacturing.

In the last 10 years, equipment worth Rs 6,00,000 crore have been procured from Indian companies. During this period, India’s defence production has doubled to more than Rs 1 lakh crore. In the last 10 years, more than 150 defence startups have started and defence forces have given them orders worth Rs 1,800 crore.

During the exercise, the participants simulated realistic, synergised and multi-domain operations, displaying integrated operational capabilities of the Indian armed forces to counter threats across land, air, sea, cyber and space domains.

The key equipment and weapon systems participating in the exercise included T-90 (IM) tanks, Dhanush and Sharang gun systems, Akash Weapon System, logistics drones, robotic mules, advanced light helicopter and an array of unmanned aerial vehicles among others. The Navy showcased Naval Anti-Ship Missiles, autonomous cargo carrying aerial vehicles, and expendable aerial targets. The Indian Air Force deployed the indigenously developed light combat aircraft Tejas, light utility helicopters and advanced light helicopters, demonstrating air superiority and versatility in aerial operations.

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