Aero-engine development priority area of government: Defence Minister

Defence Minister Rajanth Singh on Wednesday said aero-engine development is a "priority area" of the government in view of the IAF's needs and the effort is to make this engine indigenously on a "co-development and co-production" model with full intellectual property rights.

Addressing an event at the Air Force auditorium in Subroto Park here, he said "shifting geo-strategic equations" have a direct interest in India's national security as was never before.

What kind of challenges these geo-strategic uncertainties pose for national security and how "we are prepared to handle them" is of paramount importance for India, Singh said.

His remarks came on the occasion of a lecture hosted by the Air Force Association in memory of the Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, whose birth anniversary was on April 15.

"He was a visionary military leader who, even today, inspires the youth. If the IAF is one of the world's strongest air forces today, it is because of the vision and ethos of military leaders like Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh," Singh said.

"There are very few people who are part of history and also create history. Arjan Singh was one of them. We all are aware of his role in the 1965 war against Pakistan. It was an example of his visionary leadership that the Indian Air Force started a counter-attack within just an hour," the minister said.

In the address, he also spoke of "atmanirbharta" (self-sufficiency) in the defence sector and in the IAF.

Singh termed aero-engine development a "priority area" for the government, in view of the needs of the IAF. "The effort is to make this engine in India only on the model of co-development and co-production with full intellectual property rights," he said.

The defence minister said the 21st century is seen as the century of Asia.

"The cross-Atlantic power equations of the 20th century have now shifted towards Asia and have come closer to us. Today, the Indo-Pacific region has emerged as the most important region in the world strategically. The change that we have witnessed has a direct relation with our national security," Singh said.

If one looks at the conflicts in different parts of the world, one will find one common thread; driven by technology, warfare methods are changing much faster with "more unpredictability and lethality" seen in combat, he added.

Singh described the journey of IAF as an aspiring, inspirational, and transformational epic that is not just about touching the sky, but also turning the dreams of national security into reality.

He said despite challenges, the IAF has grown stronger post-independence and is now "contributing significantly to national security as a strong pillar".

Singh reiterated the commitment towards establishing IAF as a "dominant power" in the region, saying the journey towards 'aatmanirbharta' is a shared responsibility. "Commitment, collaboration and unified vision is the need of the hour, he asserted.

The defence minister said India's national security will further strengthen if the IAF is well-equipped and highly technology-oriented.

Singh stressed that national security cannot be ensured through import dependency, and the government is working relentlessly towards achieving defence sovereignty.

He said emphasis is being laid on manufacturing defence equipment within the country and the efforts of the Ministry of Defence are yielding "positive results".

Singh, in his address, termed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Light Utility Helicopter Prachand, Akash and BrahMos Air Defence weapons as "shining examples" of the capability of Indian designers, engineers and scientists.

He also said today's situation shows that the old hardware-based system of warfare is now moving towards a software-based system. In the coming times, warfare will also depend more on software-based systems, Singh added.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, other senior military officials and serving and retired IAF personnel, among others, were also present on the occasion.