Rajnath Singh bats for development of hypersonic missiles in India months after China tests them

“India should become the leader in defence technology, this should be our biggest effort. The technologies that we have been able to make ourselves are our own now. At the same time, we have to indigenise those technologies that are with only a few selected countries today. For example, ballistic missile defence is becoming more robust day by day. To maintain our minimum credible deterrence, we have to quickly think about the development of hypersonic cruise missiles. This will be a revolutionary change in our defence sector and for this, we all have to work together.”

Speaking at a seminar on ‘Preparing For Future’ at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Bhawan, Singh said the achievements made by the country’s premiere defence research and development organisation “will be completely successful in the development of any technology that comes forward”.

He added, “As times are changing, our defence requirements are also changing. Today another warrior named technology has come to the battlefields.” He also mentioned new technologies like cyber, space, IT, robotics, artificial intelligence and big data analysis are adding new chapters in warfare every day.

He expressed confidence that with cohesion between the armed forces, DRDO, academia and private industry the country “will be able to achieve the goal of not only make in India but also make for the world” and these efforts will “boost the capabilities of our armed forces and make the country fully prepared for futuristic warfare”.

Singh also paid tributes to Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, who along with his wife and 11 other military personnel died in a helicopter crash last week. He said, “With the creation of the post of CDS and the establishment of the Department of Military Affairs, the government has started the process of integration and modernisation of the three services and it will continue to move forward at an uninterrupted pace and it will be our priority to achieve this goal as soon as possible.”

Prior to his speech Singh had handed over five DRDO-developed products to the armed forces and other security agencies. The products included counter drone systems for detection, deterrence and destruction of incoming drones. He also handed over modular bridge technology, Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon, chaff variants and the lightweight fire-fighting suit to the services.