ANOTHER MILESTONE ACHIEVED
There is a changed atmosphere all across after the Modi Government took over the reins of the country in 2014. The most significant field which has seen the sea change is the defence sector because starting from Rafale jets, INS Vikrant, Chinook helicopters and many missiles which India has successfully test fired in the recent times besides manufacturing and procuring other modern arms and ammunition and inducting new submarine, the armed forces have got the much needed boost to help India fortify its defence and to a large extent got a robust edifice to even go for attack against the adversaries if the need arises. This was not the case earlier during the successive regimes and therefore one can say that the day the Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins of the country can be considered as start of India becoming one of the superpowers in the world as it was the time when country started to bolster its defence capabilities and embarked on the journey to acquire the latest weaponry available in the world and even manufacture its own to deter adversaries from threatening the country. There is not an iota of doubt in the fact that the PM Modi had toiled hard in making India stronger on surface, air and across oceans but despite such exemplary work, the country’s premier received criticism from the opposition on various occasions. Although it was the bold and daring stands taken against Pakistan and China especially during Balakot air strike and eastern Ladakh and Tawang conflicts, when everyone in the country including opposition parties have understood that whatever the government is doing to enhance defence capabilities is needful and best for the country. In the same context, the country has achieved another milestone whereby the naval version of LCA (indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft) has been successfully landed onboard INS Vikrant, the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier. It is pertinent to mention that it is the first time a fixed-wing aircraft has been landed on the deck of the carrier, which is undergoing flight trials ahead of operationalisation. The naval version of the LCA has been designed with stronger landing gears to absorb forces exerted by the ski jump ramp during take-off. It can get airborne within 200 metres and land within 100 metres. The Indian Navy currently operates the Mig-29K fighters for INS Vikramaditya. The LCA (Navy) is only a technology demonstrator but the landing on the INS Vikrant is considered an achievement as it will provide the confidence to develop the twin-engine deck-based fighter jets, which the Navy wanted to have as soon as possible. It is therefore a great feat for the country as another big leap has been made by the defence forces.