Pune: Lt Gen PK Srivastava, Director General (Artillery) of Indian Army, on Friday asked the city-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) scientists to develop futuristic weapons and weapon system considering the country has progressed a lot in IT and Artificial Intelligence.

He was speaking during the inaugural function of the National Conference on Advances in Armament Technology (NCAAT 2018) at ARDE campus in Pashan. The main objective of this conference is to provide an open forum for participants to interact and exchange ideas and experiences on latest technologies and future plans for their application in the field of armaments. 

“The weapon system should be developed keeping in mind, the next 15-20 years. The scientists must spend time with the soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC), mountainous regions, deserts to understand their needs and requirement,” he added. 

Dr SK Salwan, ex-director of ARDE, gave a thorough presentation on modern and futuristic trends in the various global technologies ranging from space technology, nanomaterials, robotics, genetics, unmanned vehicles, complex mathematics, futuristic war scenarios, etc. 

The dignitaries from private industries, ex-directors of ARDE, senior officers from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Ordnance Factories attended the inaugural function.
An exhibition and poster presentation displaying armament-related hardware and models developed with the participation of about 50 private industries under ‘Make in India’ drive has also been organised during this conference.