Additional Director General of the Army Design Bureau Major General CS Mann on Friday said that the Indian Army has finalised a comprehensive framework to address concerns about the use of Chinese components in drones.
He added that once the framework is approved, it will introduce rigorous testing protocols to ensure all equipment is free from security vulnerabilities.
Responding to a question regarding the use of Chinese components in Indian drones, Major General Mann said, “I said last year that we are making a framework – and now that framework has been completed and is under approval. Once approved, thorough testing will be conducted to ensure our equipment is free from any security vulnerabilities.”
His remarks came after Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh emphasised the need for a robust air defence system, stating that our population centres must be protected with layered air defence.
“We don’t have the luxury of systems like Israel’s Iron Dome because of our vast geography and limited resources. Still, our population centres must be protected with layered air defence,” IANS quoted Lieutenant General Singh as saying.
Lt Gen Singh underlined the growing role of drones, counter-drone systems, and long-range artillery in modern warfare.
“We need to move very fast. It’s a cat-and-mouse game,” he remarked.
He also emphasized the importance of enhancing C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) capabilities to maintain strategic dominance and civil-military fusion.
“China is able to test its weapons against various other weapons, so its like a live lab available to them,” he said.
“This must be taken very seriously,” he cautioned.
Referring to the recent Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, Lt Gen Singh said, “It’s no surprise that 81% of the military equipment Pakistan has acquired in the past five years is Chinese. China would rather inflict pain through its neighbours than directly engage.”
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to retaliate against the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where Pakistan-sponsored terrorists gunned down 26 innocent civilians. As part of Operation Sindoor, Indian armed forces targeted and struck nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), killing more than 100 terrorists.
