Self-reliance in defence is essential not only for building domestic capacity but also safeguarding the sovereignty of the country, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday. Ukraine conflict has shown that not just defence supplies, but commercial contracts are also prone to be affected.
He also called on the Indian Air Force (IAF) to transform itself into an aerospace force and be ready to protect the country from ever-evolving threats.
“Change is the law of nature. It is eternal. This law is applicable to war as well. As students of military affairs and geopolitics, it is our duty to keep anticipating the nature of future wars. Steps are being taken by our adversaries towards military use of space. This is likely to have an adverse effect on our interests. We, therefore, need to identify and be fully prepared for the evolving security challenges,” Mr. Singh said delivering the 37th Air Chief Marshal (ACM) P. C. Lal memorial lecture organised by the Air Force Association.
