Achieving self-reliance

There still remains dire need to be militarily self-reliant in the fields of production and procurement. Our defence forces are mainly dependent on US technology and equipment. While it is an undeniable fact that the US stands head and shoulders above others in matters of arms production, our dependence on its equipment has left us in a quandary. The biggest drawback is that the US can block the supplies whenever it wants. In 1965, despite knowing that the war was crucial to our survival, it cut off the ammunition supply. Most of the artillery, which was American made, was rendered useless because of lack of firearms. This flawed approach of relying on a single country is bound to cast its negative impact on foreign policy as well forcing the leadership to compromise on issues of national prestige. At present, the armament factories in the country particularly those in Wah are doing a good job but the weapons manufactured there fall in the category of small arms which have limited relevance in today's age of next generation weapons like drones and anti-satellite missiles.