Warning to China, Pak: ‘Don’t test our patience’

Army, for first time, shows its drone capabilities

Amidst the ongoing standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, Indian Army Chief Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane on Friday said that while India was committed to resolving the ongoing row through talks and diplomacy, “no one should commit the mistake of testing our patience”.

On Pakistan, the Army Chief said that 300-400 terrorists are waiting in various terror camps across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to infiltrate into J&K. He said last year had seen a 44 per cent increase in ceasefire violations at the LoC by Pakistan.

“You are ongoing tensions with China on northern borders. Regarding the conspiracy to unilaterally change the status quo on our borders, a befitting reply was given. I want to assure the country that the sacrifice of Galwan’s bravehearts will not go in vain,” Gen. Naravane said while addressing the Army Day parade. He said to resolve the issue there had been eight rounds of talks between the senior commanders of India and China. He added that efforts will

continue to be made to resolve the issue on the principle of “mutual and equal security”.

For the first time at the annual Army Day parade, the Army on Friday demonstrated its offensive swarm drone capability by taking down a slew of “targets” like tanks, terror camps, fuel dumps and a “suddenly” found helipad. The demonstration involved 75 indigenously developed drones that working autonomously located and destroyed the targets. The baby kamikaze drones detached from mother drones and directly hit targets in suicide missions. They can travel up to 50 km to destroy enemy targets and can also be used to drop emergency supplies to soldiers.

Militaries around the world are looking at drones after Azerbaijan used them to defeat Armenia in the recent conflict. Azerbaijan used the armed drones it bought from Israel and Turkey to hit Armenian military assets to devastating effect, that crippled its air defence systems, tanks, artillery guns and other units. India is also taking a relook at its drone strategy, an area in which China has formidable strength.

Army soldiers display drones for the first time at the 73rd Army Day parade at the Cariappa Ground in Delhi Cantonment on Friday. The drones carried out mock kamikaze attacks and first-aid delivery exercises as the Army showcased its latest assets. The drones were seen at the parade along with detachments of the upgraded anti-aircraft weapon system Schilka, BrahMos missile system, infantry fighting vehicle BMP-2, T-72 bridge laying tanks and multirocket launcher system Pinaka.

— PTI Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen. M.M. Naravane, Navy Chief Adm. Karambir Singh and Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria of the IAF pay homage at the National War Memorial on Friday.