Teaming up of manned and unmanned military assets will be a major aspect in new-generation avionics to prepare for future warfare and India is making concerted efforts in this direction, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan said on Thursday. In an address at an aviation expo, the top military official also underlined the need for developing futuristic technologies to deal with any possible security challenges facing the nation.

Gen Chauhan said state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is at the forefront of rolling out new avionics and hardware to bolster the country’s military preparedness.

The Chief of the Defence Staff was addressing ‘Avionics Expo 2023’ organised by the HAL in the national capital.

“We all are in the midst of a change and transformation. It is not only geo-political changes but also geo-economic and technological changes,” he said.

“It is essential that modern militaries are ready to fight, while they prepare themselves for future conflicts,” he said.

The Chief of defence staff said teaming up of manned and unmanned assets will be key to prepare for future security challenges. Dr D K Sunil, Director of Engineering and R&D at the HAL, said the HAL is showcasing its rich legacy in the design, development and production of a diverse range of avionics systems at the expo.