India embarked on a major overdrive to bolster its military capability in 2022
New Delhi: India embarked on a major overdrive in 2022 to significantly bolster its overall military prowess and focused on its strategic goals in South Asia as a fresh attempt of transgression in the Tawang sector by the Chinese troops amid the unresolved eastern Ladakh border standoff renewed the focus on the looming threat from China along the frontier.
In line with a decision taken at the 16th round of military talks, the two sides carried out disengagement from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area of eastern Ladakh in September, taking forward similar exercises in other friction points last year.
But the face-off between the two of the planet's biggest military forces lingered on in Demchok and Depsang regions though the Indian side pressed for completion of the disengagement in remaining friction points at the earliest.
As the fresh clash in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector on December 9 renewed the focus on China's evil designs, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament that the Chinese troops tried to "unilaterally" change the status quo but the Indian Army compelled them to retreat.
In the course of the year, India expanded military cooperation with almost all friendly countries in South Asia in the face of China's consistent attempts to increase its influence in the region.
As the national security planners devised strategies to deal with myriad security challenges facing the country, the armed forces started procurement of a significant number of military platforms and weapons including light tanks, anti-ship missiles, long range guided bombs, futuristic infantry combat vehicles, mounted gun systems and different types of drones.
In October, India tested a ballistic missile fired from its first indigenous nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant which was seen as a major milestone to further boost the country's strategic strike capabilities.
In December, India successfully test-fired nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni-5 that can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 km.
Agni-V can bring almost the entire Asia including the northernmost part of China as well as some regions in Europe under its striking range.
In September, PM Narendra Modi commissioned India's first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (IAC I) that made the country part of an elite group of nations capable of manufacturing aircraft carriers above 40,000 tonnes category.
In the year, the defence ministry also rolled out the 'Agnipath' recruitment scheme with an aim to bring down the age profile of the armed forces and make them more agile.
The scheme, announced on June 14, seeks to recruit youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 percent of them for 15 more years. For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years.
In September, Gen Anil Chauhan became India's new Chief of Defence Staff with a mandate to implement the ambitious theaterisation plan that aims to ensure tri-services synergy and prepare the armed forces for future security challenges facing the nation.
In a boost to India's focus on defence indigenisation, PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in Vadodara for production of European C-295 military transport aircraft on October 30. The Tata Group will manufacture 40 C-295 medium transport aircraft at the facility in cooperation with Airbus under the provisions of a Rs 21,935 crore deal that the two firms inked to supply the planes to the Indian Air Force.
In the same month, the Indian Air Force inducted the first fleet of indigenously-built Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), 'Prachand', 23 years after the need for such a lethal platform for mountain warfare was felt following the Kargil conflict with Pakistan.
