JOIN USIn a dig at Pakistan, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said it has perpetuated a security threat for nearly 70 years and hence, India’s defence preparedness needs to be enhanced to the optimum level.
Inaugurating the country’s first-ever Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) here on Sunday, Jaitley said India is geographically located in a region that is not free from trouble.
“India is not free from security threats from a neighbour (Pakistan) over the past seven decades. So, our level of defence preparedness must be optimum. The ATR at Varavu Kaval near Challakere in Chitradurga district will play a vital role in helping India tackle threats from external forces,” he said.
The ATR, conceived by the Bengaluru-based Aeronautical Development Establishment in collaboration with other Defence Research and Development Organisation labs, is located at Challakere, nearly 200 km from Bengaluru. Jaitley witnessed demonstrations of five unmanned aircraft.
“The entire defence preparedness would be tested here. This way, Chitradurga district would find a key spot on the global map in the near future as the Aeronautical Test Range is situated in a location where Indian Space Research Organisation, Indian Institute of Science and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre are its neighbours,” he said.
According to Jaitley, there are two critical factors required for any facility. The principal factor is human resource, which is globally competitive, and the second is the facility itself that supports research. Fortunately, Karnataka is not only the leader in information technology in India, but also leads the way on the global front, he said.
“We have a state-of-the-art ATR, which would help India establish footprints at global level,” he said. “We needed an area that is secluded and where human habitation is very low. The ATR has been set up in an area which meets the requirements,” he added.