General Bipin Rawat Defends PM Narendra Modi's 'Radar' Comment, Says 'Some Radars Cannot See Through Clouds'

Ezhimala, May 26: Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that clouds can help planes dodge radar. Speaking to reporters after the Passing Out Parade (POP) at Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala on Saturday, General Rawat said that some types of radar cannot see through clouds as these radars operate in a particular manner.

"There are various kinds of radars working with different technologies. Some have the capacity to see through, some don't have the capacity to see through (clouds)," The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) said. He further added, “Some kinds of radar cannot see through clouds because of the manner in which it is operating. Sometimes we can, sometimes we can't.”

In an interview with News Nation, which was aired on May 11, PM Modi had said that he used his "raw wisdom" to dispel doubts of defence experts, who wanted the Balakot airstrike on February 26 to be deferred due to bad weather. He stated that he had advised the Indian Air Force (IAF) to execute the strikes in Pakistan's Balakot on February 27, "despite the rough weather". PM Modi’s comment drew flak from opposition parties who left no stone turned to troll him on social media.

Meanwhile, General Rawat who was in Ezhimala to review the passing-out parade of cadets of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, said that coordinated efforts are being made by various government agencies to tackle cross-border terrorism.

A total of 264 cadets of Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and 10 international cadets on Saturday passed out from the INA. General Rawat reviewed the parade. Medals were awarded to meritorious midshipmen and cadets.

(With inputs from PTI)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 26, 2019 10:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).