India never had any intentions of aggression against anyone, and it has only picked up weapons for civilisational values, peace and truth, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said
Speaking at the Diamond Jubilee Conclave of Chetak Helicopters in Hyderabad, Singh said, “Looking at the events of the last few years, our government has emphasized self-reliance in defense production, and preparedness. These days we have seen many challenges in ensuring supply lines.”
“External conditions have affected the serviceability of critical weapons and equipment. Therefore, continuous increase in our efforts for self-reliance is the biggest need of today,” the Union minister said.
Further stressing the need for self-reliance, he said, “The burden of protecting a huge country like India cannot remain on the shoulders of other countries for long. We must strengthen our own shoulders to protect ourselves.”
Talking about the Chetak helicopter, Singh said, “We celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of institutions and organizations. I often attend them. But our Air Force is celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of a helicopter. It’s a symbol of our respect for this helicopter.”
He compared the Chetak helicopter with Maharana Pratap’s loyal and dependable horse, and said that the choppers have “served our nation in war and peace for decades. Chetak is one of the longest-serving platforms in our defense forces.”
The helicopters have not only targeted the enemies on the battlefield, but also saved precious lives by evacuation in case of emergency. “on the battlefield, it has targeted the enemies with its accurate firing. It is capable of landing its troops on the battlefield. It has also helped in delivering essential logistics. It has also saved precious lives by evacuation in case of emergency,” Singh said.
“Chetak is one of the leading design and development projects in our country. Its success gave us the confidence that in the future also we can be successful in such projects. So far, about 700 Chetak helicopters have been produced in our country,” the minister added.
