Express News Service By

HYDERABAD: India will achieve 100 percent self- reliance in the field of missile technology within five years, Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar has said.

He was speaking at a function where the prestigious Missile Complex here, which houses research units of DRDO, was renamed after late President APJ Abdul Kalam on the occasion of his 84th birth anniversary on Thursday.

The Missile Complex comprises Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI) has been formally renamed after Abdul Kalam with immediate effect.

Saying that India has already achieved a significant growth in missile technology, Parrikar attributed the credit to Kalam. “He was a man with great vision. His life and his books inspired the younger generation to take up science as a career option. He always believed that youth will decide India’s future,” the Union minister said.

Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy speaking on the occasion said, “Few years ago, majority of the spare parts of missiles were imported. But now 80 percent of them are made in India. We should work to make it 100 percent.”

On behalf of the state government, he assured complete support for expansion of defence establishments in Telangana.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Parrikar said the government is studying all aspects to allow women in combat front of the Army and Navy. Recently, the Air Force announced to induct women as pilots in the fighter jets. “Required infrastructure has to be developed to extend it to the other forces,” he said.

Responding to a query on Aero India show, Parrikar said the show will continue to be held in Bengaluru. ‘’Though the Karnataka government has requested the defence ministry to shift it to other city due to traffic issues, we did not accept the appeal,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the defence minister inaugurated two advanced R&D facilities of RCI including an outdoor RCS Test Facility, ‘ORANGE’, at Dundigal and the Kautilya Advanced Research Centre at RCI. Dr G Satheesh Reddy, scientific adviser to the defence minister and Director of RCI was also present at the event.