Rajnath says India facing a ‘double threat’ on its borders, technologically advanced military need of hour

Hours after the Indian Navy conducted the maiden night-landing trials of MiG-29K on INS Vikrant – the largest ship ever built in the maritime history of India – Defence Minister Rajnath Singh batted to have a technologically advanced military to protect the interests of the country which is facing a “double threat” on its borders.

The Indian Navy revealed Thursday afternoon that it has achieved yet another historic milestone by undertaking the maiden night landing of MiG-29K on the nation’s first indigenously-built Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant, a feat which is indicative of its impetus towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’ or self-reliance.

“This challenging night landing trial demonstrates the resolve, skill and professionalism of the Vikrant crew and the Naval pilots,” tweeted the Indian Navy emphasising that it is a credible, cohesive and combat-ready futureproof force.

The MiG-29K, a true swing role aircraft which carries enough punch to undertake Air Dominance and Power Projection missions simultaneously, is a state-of-the-art, all-weather, carrier-based, air dominance fighter specially built for the Indian Navy.

The aircraft has a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound (about 2000 kmph), can pull up to 8 times the force of gravity and can climb to an altitude of over 65000 feet. Armed with an arsenal of some of the most sophisticated weapons in the world it is fully equipped to dominate by engaging targets in air, at sea or on land.

INS Vikrant has been built with a high degree of automation for machinery operation, ship navigation and survivability, and has been designed to accommodate an assortment of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft.

The warship is capable of operating air wing consisting of 30 aircraft comprising of MIG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R multi-role helicopters, in addition to indigenously manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy).

“Congratulations to the Indian Navy for successfully undertaking the maiden night landing trials of MiG-29K on INS Vikrant. This remarkable achievement is a testimony to the skills, perseverance and professionalism of the Vikrant crew and Naval pilots. Kudos to them,” tweeted Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Earlier in the day, while addressing two different events in New Delhi, the Defence Minister stressed on the need to acquire advanced defence technologies.

Addressing the scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), he spotlighted that countries across the world express their willingness to conduct joint exercises with Indian armed forces.

“In such a situation, it becomes imperative that we have a technologically advanced military to protect the interests of the country. For a country like India, it becomes very important because we are facing double threat on our borders,” said Singh.

At the second event, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Singh said that Research and Development (R&D) in cutting-edge technology opens new dimensions crucial for the development and security of any nation in today’s times.

“We need to set new goals and achieve them through innovative methods to keep ourselves prepared to deal with any challenges arising out of the ever-evolving global situation. R&D has the ability to convert things, which are viewed as resources, into resources. Technology improves the utilisation of the available resources. It acts as a force multiplier,” he said.