Better technology will prevent Kargil-like war from happening again: Army officer

Expressing confidence that another Kargil war will "never" happen again, top army commander for Ladakh division today said the force has strengthened its capacity for technical surveillance and is well equipped with weapons and modern intelligence.

"I am confident that this (Kargil war) will never happen again," general officer commanding (GOC) of 14 Corps Lt Gen Ravi Dastane said, while talking to reporters here at the 12th anniversary of the army's victory in the 1999 Kargil war.

Lt Gen Dastane, who presided over the day's functions after general officer commanding-in-chief of Northern Command Lt Gen KT Parnaik could not reach Drass due to bad weather, said army has strengthened its defenses and its technical surveillance has also increased.

"We are proud to say that India is a technological power and therefore we are getting those spin-offs to us for better surveillance, better intelligence gathering," he said.

Dastane said Army has procured new surveillance technology and firepower systems to meet its operational requirements.

"We are getting better surveillance systems, better firepower systems...It is enough to meet our operational requirements, it is adequate and we are confident with what we are getting," he said, adding that bunkers at the mountain tops are now manned round the year.