New Delhi: With the aim of boosting “Make in India” in keeping with the government’s policy of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence equipment, soldiers posted in the frontlines are testing a range of indigenously developed military equipment, said the Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi.
Northern Command is unique as it faces multiple fronts and frontiers, terrain ranging from plains to Super High Altitude and temperatures varying from normal to as low as minus seventy degrees. All these factors pose operational challenges that have to be dynamically met through high standard of operational capabilities at tactical, operational and strategic levels.
The spectrum of capabilities translates into variety of state of the art weapons, equipment, ammunition and logistic assets. This makes Northern Command a perfect laboratory for fielding, testing and evaluating the defence technologies and products for induction into service. The Northern Command is at the forefront of supporting domestic industry.
“We have been providing opportunities to the industry to showcase their products and support them during testing and trials. We are also ensuring that all ranks from user units and formations are exposed to the products and that they are able to interact with the vendors and share the problems for which we are seeking solutions. This mechanism creates a win-win situation wherein Army is able to address the deficiencies and industry is able to re-orient their Research and Development,” Lt Gen Dwivedi said.
He said the response of the industry especially the domestic one has been positive and encouraging and they have been dynamically integrating and upgrading their technologies and fielding their equipment for trials.
He said North Tech Symposium is perfect example of their response for which, for the first time ever, over 150 vendors have offered to field and demonstrate their equipment meeting host of requirements such as fire power, operational survival, individual and force protection, communications, situational awareness, sights, night vision devices, disruptive technologies, and so on.
Several unique and modern technologies have been volunteered by the domestic firms which will give a prominent boost to the Make in India or Atmanirbharta Initiative.
“We are also showcasing innovations that have been undertaken by Army personnel or units for meeting our local technological needs. These innovations once exposed to the industry, can be evaluated by them for mass production,” he said.
Lt Gen Dwivedi said Northern Command encourages its officers, JCOs and troops to exploit their creative potential and resolve challenges related to critical equipment and weapon system, their upgradation and effort saving techniques, along with creating new designs to fill existing voids. Thereafter, the effort is made to showcase the same to the institutions such as IITs and related industries for development of prototypes for trials.
He said some of the equipment developed by military units include TAIROWS (Ten Artificial Intelligence Remotely Operated Weapon System), Counter Drone Technology, Remotely Controlled All Terrain Mine, Short Span Foot Bridge, Robo Mule, Sarvatra Kavach (Bullet Proof Suit) and Padam Kavach (Anti Mine Shoes).
On the upcoming industry symposium at Udhampur which comprises of two events, he said the seminar will help identify the current and future needs of the Northern Command and the exhibition will showcase the technologies and products available with the industry.
