Taking charge as the defence minister for the second time, AK Antony on Monday laid out the roadmap for India’s armed forces — modernisation and transparency. Antony’s very first day in office was marked by India receiving the state-of-the-art AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) platform from Israel. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is slated to get two more AWACS platforms, which is miles ahead of ground-based radars in detecting incoming missiles, enemy aircraft and monitor troop movement.
During the course of the day, Antony met Defence Secretary Vijay Singh and the chiefs of the three services, as well as senior Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials and held a series of high-level meetings, said MoD spokesperson Sitanshu Kar.
Earlier, speaking to reporters at South Block, Antony zeroed in on “coastal security and infrastructure development in the country’s North-East and other border areas” as major challenges. He said: “Developments around us is a cause of serious concern. So, eternal vigilance is a must.”
When questioned if India sees China as its “biggest threat,” Antony said: “India wants to maintain friendly relations with all its neighbours. Not only maintain, but to improve our relations with China and all neighbours.”