With gaps in the military capabilities of India and China growing, Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said the country should "build" asymmetric warfare capabilities to counter threats from larger armed forces.

"We (Indians) need to conceptualise and build asymmetric capabilities against superior forces," Antony told the first Consultative Committee meeting of new Members of Parliament attached to the Defence Ministry, which dwelt on the Indian Air Force (IAF) strengths and weaknesses, here.

He said the government's endeavours were aimed at ensuring the IAF's capabilities are in consonance with India's stature, aspirations and threat perceptions, and it was taking a series of steps to develop the IAF into a "dominant aerospace power."

The Defence Minister said the steps included enhancing significantly the strategic reach of IAF to operate effectively far away from the Indian mainland and integrating potent capabilities in terms of space-based assets, air defence, surveillance, modern aircraft and advanced weapon systems.

Referring to the perspective plans of the Armed Forces, he said the gestation period for induction of new equipment was long and, therefore, there should be clarity in strategic assessments and projection of requirements.

"We need to hasten our procurements to prevent voids in defence preparedness," he added.

Antony said efforts are also being made in the Defence Ministry and its various wings to ensure that the country reached the level of developed countries in defence technologies, without going through all the intermediate steps.

"In our drive for modernisation and in execution of our daily tasks, we must be ever mindful of economy and avoid waste or duplication. We must lend our shoulders to indigenisation and think of ways in which we can reach the level of advanced states without necessarily following all the intermediate steps," he said.

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