‘Looking at Electronic Warfare System’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 25: Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat said today that Army keeps on getting reports of Uri and Pathankot like attacks by the militants in Jammu and Kashmir even as he declared that appointment of an Interlocutor by the Centre Government will have no impact on the ‘Operation All Out’ launched by Army in Kashmir to eliminate and apprehend the militants and their top commanders.
Speaking to an Agency on the sidelines of a function at Union capital, Gen Rawat said security of installations in hinterland is becoming a cause for concern. “We are getting report of Uri and Pathankot like attacks well in depth”.
He said the Army was looking at Electronic Warfare (EW) system to keep an eye not just on border but in hinterland also. This would help in maintaining strict vigil on the militants and neutralizing them.
Gen Rawat said major requirement of the Army, as of now, is intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, to keep eye on adversaries on Western and Northern borders.
He said the appointment of an interlocutor to engage in dialogue with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir would not impact Army operations in the State.
The Government, he said, was acting from a “position of strength” on the Kashmir issue and its existing policy had helped in improving the overall situation in the state.
Asked whether the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma as Kashmir Interlocutor would impact the Army’s operations in the troubled State, he said, “My one word answer is no, it will not.”
Responding to a question on whether Sharma’s appointment meant that the tough policy on Kashmir was not working, Gen Rawat said, “I do not think so. What is in your mind is not correct. The policy of the Government has worked. The Government is speaking from a position of strength.”
He said incidents of cross-border infiltration had come down and the overall situation in the State had improved significantly in the last few months.
“In January, you had asked me whether the situation has deteriorated in Kashmir, whether we have lost Kashmir. Now you analyze where is Kashmir?”, he asked.
“We have killed terrorists on the Line of Control because of which the situation has improved.”
PTI adds:
Gen Rawat said India must fight the next war with home-made solutions as he strongly pitched for developing the domestic defence industry.
“We must win the next war with home-made solutions,” he said at a conference on defence modernization at FICCI.
The Army chief also underlined the need for developing an indigenous intelligence and surveillance system to keep a hawk eye vigil on the borders with China and Pakistan as well as to ensure foolproof security at military installations in the hinterland.
He said the private sector must join hands with the Government to find solutions to the needs of the security forces.
Stressing on developing the domestic defence industry, Gen Rawat said the Army was working with the private sector and academia on developing indigenous systems and platforms.
The Army chief also urged the private sector to utilize its financial resources for carrying out research and development activities, focusing on requirement of the armed forces.
India is a leading importer of arms and military platforms globally and the NDA Government has listed indigenization of defence manufacturing as a priority area.
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