India's defence preparedness should always be optimal: Jaitley

CHITRADURGA (KARNATAKA): In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today said it has perpetuated a security threat for nearly 70 years and hence India's defence preparedness should always be optimal.

Inaugurating the country's first ever Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), set up near here for testing unmanned and manned aircraft being developed locally, he said India was geographically located in a region that was not free from trouble.

“We have a neighbour who for almost seven decades has perpetuated a security threat as far as India is concerned and therefore the level of our defence preparedness always should be optimal,” he said.

For the level of defence preparedness always to be optimal, “you need to in the long run eventually establish the facilities – to a large extent possible – for its manufacturing within the country itself,” he added. (AGENCIES)