Survivability of a solider is important to us: Vice Army Chief

Jammu: Vice Army Chief Lt General B S Raju on Saturday said that for commanders, survivability of a solider is most important aspect and to meet this challenge, government directions are clear that “we have to encourage indigenous defence industry.”

As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), delivering key note address during North Tech symposium at Udhampur, Lt Gen Raju said, “The event has two objectives. One is to showcase the latest technology and another is to tell officers, commanders that what industry offering to meet the challenges on ground.”

He said: “I am delighted that more than 150 companies from the country are here. I also understand that this one of largest participation of industry in a symposium of size and scale and scope.”

Lt Gen Raju said that “We have very complex operating environment and challenges for we commanders are to empower our men to do their jobs and towards this end we need multiple technologies whether its surveillance equipments shot medium or long range, to be in day and nights, to be operate in mountains and high altitude areas minus 50 to plus 50. We need drones of every kind which do precise surveillances to carry payload, to carry ammunition and drop it at place of choice, to operate in swam environment. We need secure communication, we need medical equipment.”

The top army officer said that troops on ground need good habitat, good heating equipments. “The survivability of a solider is important to us, so I can go on endless to explain what our demands are. So good part today is most of these equipments are on display,” he said.

He further added that the task for our commanders is to get these equipments to soldiers while “we do that we are cautious that self reliance in defence is the future and a lot of steps are being taken into this direction.”

He said directions from the top is very clear we will fight future war with indigenous equipments.

Raju said that Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) in future for almost all weapons and equipment will be given to the Indian industry

“Future wars need to be fought with indigenous equipment,” he said.

Addressing the participants, Lt Gen Raju said, “Hereafter, the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) will only be given to indigenous defence manufacturers. “We will come more than half a distance to meet your aspirations. We will give you all the facilities that are required, whether it is equipment, testing facilities, and, most importantly, our time.”

Raju said the industry members that the Army will “not ask you the moon” and the Preliminary Service Quality Requirements (PSQRs), the requirements that an equipment or weapon needs to meet, “that we are going to give are going to be reasonable so that you are able to produce”. He said if the industry can meet 80 per cent of “our aspirations, then we will go ahead and issue orders”.

He later told journalists that the Army is working on making the PSQRs simpler.

Army’s strict PSQRs have been a cause of lament by many industry members.

Speaking about the kind of technology the Army is looking for, Raju said, “We need drones of all kinds which are able to do persistent surveillance, carry payload, carry ammunition to the place of choice, secure communication, medical equipment, troops on ground need good habitat and so on.”