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Addressing an awards function at the Defence Research & Development (DRDO), Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the role of speed, innovation and technology in defence research. This comes after Modi inducted India’s largest indigenously built warship, INS Kolkata, into the Indian Navy last week. Clearly, the new government is willing to spend much energy on revitalising India’s defence sector. It is a Herculean task that can only be achieved through political will and out-of-box thinking.
Towards that end, Modi has done well to lay out an over-arching vision for DRDO. He challenged the organisation to deliver on projects before time. This is one area where the premier research and development body has an extremely poor track record. In a reply to Parliament in March 2013, then defence minister A K Antony had said that major DRDO projects had been running behind schedule by up to 13 years. These included the Light Combat Aircraft – which still hasn’t completed its operational trials – and the advanced airborne early warning system. In fact, INS Kolkata had to be inducted without the requisite long-range surface to air missile system as it is still under development by DRDO in association with Israeli Aerospace Industries.
Such delays are criminal as the shelf life of defence technologies has shrunk considerably in recent years. This means that by the time DRDO delivers on a product, the technology behind it is nearing its expiry date. This in turn leads to huge losses in terms of funds and resources. No doubt, the inability of organisations like DRDO to deliver on high technology weapons platforms on time is one of the main reasons why India has emerged as the largest arms importer in the world.
Modi?s push for out-of-box thinking in defence research should shake DRDO out of its stupor | Times of India Opinion
Towards that end, Modi has done well to lay out an over-arching vision for DRDO. He challenged the organisation to deliver on projects before time. This is one area where the premier research and development body has an extremely poor track record. In a reply to Parliament in March 2013, then defence minister A K Antony had said that major DRDO projects had been running behind schedule by up to 13 years. These included the Light Combat Aircraft – which still hasn’t completed its operational trials – and the advanced airborne early warning system. In fact, INS Kolkata had to be inducted without the requisite long-range surface to air missile system as it is still under development by DRDO in association with Israeli Aerospace Industries.
Such delays are criminal as the shelf life of defence technologies has shrunk considerably in recent years. This means that by the time DRDO delivers on a product, the technology behind it is nearing its expiry date. This in turn leads to huge losses in terms of funds and resources. No doubt, the inability of organisations like DRDO to deliver on high technology weapons platforms on time is one of the main reasons why India has emerged as the largest arms importer in the world.
Modi?s push for out-of-box thinking in defence research should shake DRDO out of its stupor | Times of India Opinion
