Low-cost, high-tech a winning formula, need homegrown weapons: Army chief

The use of low-cost and high-end technology in warfare is one of the main takeaways from the recent conflicts and the combination can be used to even beat back a superior adversary, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said on Tuesday.

Making a case for the urgent need to develop home-grown weapons and solutions, the Army chief said the troika of industry, academia and the military, with its significant annual budget, can be the catalyst for an ecosystem that will lead to self-reliance. "If you have low-cost, high technology, you will be able to beat back a superior adversary. Force visualisation, force protection and force application are the three main things we need to work out," the top officer said at a function organised by the All India Management Association.

Gen Dwivedi also spoke about the need to strengthen strategic partnerships with the industry to meet the evolving requirements of the armed forces, pointing to rapid changes in the battlefield as seen in recent global conflicts. "If I wanted something to fire at 100 km today, tomorrow it has to go to 300 km. Because it is not only me, the adversary is also enhancing his technology. I need to completely make sure that my technological level is ready to beat his technological impact. Here, aatmanirbharta becomes important," he said.


The top officer said that to meet emerging challenges, the range of different weapons and munition needs to be enhanced, taking the example of loitering munition that currently have ranges of around 150 km. The Army Chief said that these systems need to have ranges of 750 km and rockets need to be able to hit targets at 300 km, from the current inventory that can go up to 70 km. The officer said that the projected annual defence spending on modernisation and acquisition over the next decade is likely to be ₹3 lakh crore, with a 10% increase every year.