Self Reliance in Critical Technologies: User Perspective

Abstract

Helicopters are useful in war and peace time operations and are suited for operating in vivid terrain. The helicopter fleet will continue to be an exceptional force multiplier that would primarily affect the entire range of accessible ground operations and is one of the most important assets available to a field commander in operations at tactical and operational level. The versatility of the rotary wing and its relevance in future war will primarily revolve around the employment of various technological advancement achieved along each passing year. Development of critical technologies to thwart the challenges emanating from the envisaged future military operations hold key for successful employment of these machines. The aim of evolving technologies in the domain of rotary wings is to facilitate higher degree of situational awareness while ensuring survivability in the fluid battle space. Another important aspect is to integrate and process information received from various sub system and ensure availability of the processed information as comprehensible and mission customized input to the aircrew. Army Aviation helicopters have graduated to undertake multi-faceted role and their application form integral part of Indian Army doctrine. The growth of Army Aviation is steadily filling the gap between desire and capabilities. Indigenization and self- reliance in the field of various critical technologies and concepts is the need of the hour as it is the only way forward towards exploitation of the rotorcraft to the best of its potential. Research and development in the field of technologies associated with rotary wing has become a necessity towards sustaining the relevance of these machines in the envisioned advanced operations