Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said modern armaments and technologies will be added to the country's armed forces to make them more developed and up-to-date in line with the forces of developed countries.

The prime minister said this while addressing the President's Parade of Bangladesh Air Force virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence. 

The parade was held at Bangladesh Air Force Academy in Jashore.

"We participate in UN peacekeeping missions where there’re army personnel from other countries, too…we’ve to keep pace with them," she said.

She said the government is doing whatever is needed to include new technologies in the armed forces so that Bangladesh is not left behind. "We’ve to build up ourselves like that way." 

To improve the ability of Air Force, she said, the government has completed the agreement process to procure five ultramodern C-130J transport planes and three of those are already arrived in the country.

She also said seven more most modern K-8W jet trainer planes have been inducted to the Air Force fleet while PT-6 Simulator will be added very soon for ensuring advanced training for the pilots.

For quick air defence system integration, Hasina said, unmanned arial vehicle system, mobile gap filler radar and ultramodern air defence radar will be included in the Air Force.

"A process is underway to procure more modern and high-capacity warplanes and other equipment to modernize the Air Force further and implement the Forces Goal-2030," she said.

But, the PM said, the government could not spend the desired money due to the coronavirus pandemic but “we’ve a plan to make the Air Force more time-befitting one.”

The government has recently started the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University in Lalmonirhat which will offer courses on flying planes, building aircraft and space science.

"We hope one day we’ll be able to build war planes, transport planes and helicopters, Inshallah. We’ll also be able to do our space research and go to the space. We’ll continue our efforts to that end," Hasina said.

The Prime Minister said the government has already approved organisational structures of helicopter simulator training institute and airmen training institute.

BDST: 1755 HRS, DEC 20, 2020
AP/SMS