Page 28 - MILITARY-STUDIES-2

Modernisation of The Indian Armed Forces Module -IV
Indian Armed Forces :
• The Army Air Defence is an extremely important arm as it provides Low Level Weapons and War Equip-

Air Defence. Two Regiments of indigenous Akash Missiles have been ordered ment and Modernisation
from DRDO. Further trials are on for Very Short Range and also Short Range
missiles.
• High Technology aspects concern Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Nano
Technology, Non- Lethal Weapons, Directed Energy Weapons and NBC
Note
warfare. Research in all these fields is progressing at a steady pace. Artificial
Intelligence and Robotics are in a nascent stage of development. Rapid strides
are needed to be taken in the field of Nano technology and it would lead to
reduction of size and weight which would be suitable for our High Altitude and
Glaciated regions.

11.1.2 Navy

The Indian Navy has been focusing on developing indigenous capabilities, systems,
sensors and weapons as part of the nation's modernisation and expansion of its maritime
forces. To secure our maritime Exclusive Economic Zones as also to maintain credible
deterrence in the Indian Ocean our naval ships and aircrafts are deployed from the
Gulf of Aden to the Western Pacific on an almost 24x7 basis.

The emerging threat from China in the Indo Pacific arena as also the Chinese muscle
flexing by deploying more naval assets is posing security challenges which need to be
addressed at the earliest. To mitigate such threats many actions have been taken for
the modernisation of the Navy. The main highlights are as under:
• India has kick-started an ambitious project to build six nuclear-powered attack

submarines that is expected to boost the Navy's overall strike capabilities in the
face of naval build-up by other countries and increasing military manoeuvring in
the Indo-Pacific region.
• There are 34 ships under construction and projects worth Rs 40,000 crores
have been identified for participation of the private shipyards.
• In near future Indian Navy surface combatant fleet is likely to be

• 03 Carriers
• 10 Destroyers

• 24 Frigates
• 20 Corvettes

• 20 Submarines
• Indian warships' primary air-defence cover is provided by the Barak-1 Surface
to Air Missile. An advanced version of Barak-8, developed in collaboration
with Israel has also entered service. India's next-generation Scorpene class

21
MILITARY STUDIES 21