Article Posted on : - Sep 07, 2009

File photo.

NEW DELHI (PTI): Former Army Chief V P Malik, who led the Army during the 1999 Kargil war, has said casualties in the conflict could have been reduced had DRDO “not come in the way” of acquiring weapon-locating radars.

“We had one or two incidents particularly on the weapon locating radar. If the DRDO had not come in the way we would have got them before the Kargil war and that would have definitely reduced our casualties,” he told Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.

Asked whether DRDO was “slight boastful” in claims over developing weapons, Malik said “well that has been our (armed forces') experience over the development of weapons and equipment the DRDO has delivered or not delivered.”

On whether A P J Abdul Kalam, during his stint as the Director-General of the DRDO, overestimated the country's capacity and ability, Malik merely said “I do not want to go more into that.

“I am absolutely convinced that we need to build our deterrence capability much more than what we have today,” Malik said noting that the Pakistan gaining confidence after the 1998 nuclear tests was one of the reasons for the Kargil incursion.

The former Army Chief said that the reported modification of the Harpoon missiles has brought several cities and key establishments in the country within the strike range of Pakistani weapons.