BENGALURU: Laying emphasis on fostering self-reliance in the defence arena, the Indian Navy is on the path to emerge as a ‘fully-Atmanirbhar’ force in the next two decades. Addressing a seminar on the theme ‘Atmanirbharta in Aero Armament Sustenance’ at Aero India 2023, Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar, said: “The Indian Navy has made an unequivocal commitment and steadfast resolve… that we will be a fully-Atmanirbhar force by 2047.”
However, the current volatility globally demands a more rapid shift in that direction. “In terms of national security, the contemporary security canvas is characterised by increasing uncertainty, complexity, disruption of supply chain, and ambiguity among nations. In overcoming these challenges, among the instruments of national power, a well-equipped, technologically-enabled and efficiently supported modern military will remain critical,” the Admiral explained.
Citing disruptions caused to the supply chain from the pandemic and the conflict in Europe, he said that there is a need to overcome dependency on others for the country’s defence and security requirements. “In this regard, achieving self-reliance or Atmanirbharta is no longer just an economic imperative, but a strategic necessity,” he added.
The Navy has been at the forefront of adopting self-reliance and indigenisation from as early as the 1960s. This drive not only bolstered the force’s strength, but also created a thriving multi-dimensional ecosystem over the years.
“The Indian Navy’s quest for self-reliance and indigenisation in ship-building has resulted in a thriving and highly matured industry, which has the capacity and capability to construct complex and advanced platforms ranging from aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines, and specialised diving support vehicles, and so on. However, the transition from a buyer’s Navy to a builder’s Navy has helped us not only support the Indian defence industry, but also spurred economic growth and stimulated industrial skilling,” the Admiral elaborated.
Quoting the Economic Survey 2022-23, he cited the example of how indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant alone engaged about 500 MSMEs and created employment for nearly 12,000 people in various sectors. “While we are justifiably proud of these achievements, to be a true capable maritime power, we need to strive for complete self-reliance across the three important components - to float, move and fight... In this context, the defence manufacturing ecosystem in India plays a pivotal role,” he added.
Meanwhile, commending the response of the Armed Forces to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Defence Minister of State Ajay Bhatt expressed satisfaction over the fact that many indigenous projects in the defence sector are being taken forward by DRDO, DPSUs and the private sector. He stated that looking at the overwhelming response of the private players, the Defence Ministry has come out with several policy decisions to encourage their participation.
Important MoUs signed
BEL & Aeronautical Development Agency on IWBC and other LRUs for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)
Collaboration of Sagar Defence Engineering Private Limited (SDEPL) & Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for IDEX Challenge ‘Autonomous Weaponized Boat Swarm’ for Indian Navy
HAL & Elta Systems Limited, Israel, for cooperation on future business in Maritime Patrol Radar (MPR) for Indian platforms
GRSE and Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH (MTU) for license production with localisation of the MTU 16V4000M73L engine to support the indigenous content for the Next Generation Fast Attack Craft vessel for Indian Navy
ToT of Shakti EW System from DLRL DRDO to BEL Hyderabad Unit for all system units, bill of material, test procedures, integration & offering methodology
BEML enters into licence agreement for Transfer of Technology (ToT) with R&DEE, DRDO for development and supply of TRAWL Assembly for T-72/T-90 tanks
A few products launched
Vertically Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile
Developed by Bharat Dynamics Ltd, VLSRSAM is a next-generation, ship-based, all-weather, air defence weapon which can be used by Navy as a quick reaction point defence against supersonic sea skimming targets like aircraft and UAVs
Semi-active laser seeker based Anti-Tank Guided Missile for BMP-II:
Developed by Bharat Dynamics Ltd, SAL Seeker ATGM for BMP-II is a subsonic missile with a range of 4,000 m and flight time of 25 seconds. The missile weighs 23 kg
Jishnu: Developed by Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Jishnu, a Drone Delivered Missile, is light weight and miniaturised missile targeted for soft-skinned targets. It has a range of 1.5 km with a flight time of 9 seconds