NewDelhi Nov 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be visiting two districts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday to inaugurate a bunch of developmental projects, will also formally hand over in Jhansi the indigenously developed defence equipment to the three chiefs of the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n
The move is being deemed as a major push to the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ programme in the defence sector, as the entire set of equipment – including the light combat aircraft (LCA), drones, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were built part-by-part in the country by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) (in case of the LCA) or Indian startups.<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister will directly hand over to all the three service chiefs the latest defence gears, which also includes an advanced electronic warfare suite for naval ships, designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited.<\/p>\n
The LCA incorporates advanced technologies and stealth features for effective combat roles, an official statement said, adding the deployment of Indian UAVs by armed forces is also proof of the growing maturity of the Indian drone industry ecosystem. Meanwhile, the advanced warfare suite – which will be received by the Naval chief on part of the Indian Navy – will be used in different ships including destroyers and frigates.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, other developmental projects in Jhansi to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister include the 600 megawatts (MW) ultra-mega solar power park and the Atal Ekta Park.<\/p>\n
According to the PMO, the 600MW solar power park, proposed to be set up in Jhansi’s Garautha area, is being constructed at a cost of more than \u20b93,000 crore. The project will be inaugurated, as per the statement, by the Prime Minister when he participates in the foundation laying ceremony at 5:15pm on Friday. The solar power park is expected to help provide the dual benefits of cheaper electricity and grid stability for consumers.<\/p>\n