NEW DELHI, Jan. 22 -- India has the mindset and human capital to become a strong military and take flight towards the national goal of becoming a developed country by 2047 but what it lacks is technology, and bridging that gap requires entering into strategic partnerships with other countries to develop next-generation weapons and systems, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh said on Wednesday. This approach, he said, must progress in conjunction with steps towards indigenisation of military hardware. "While supporting the research and development efforts towards indigenisation and 'atmanirbharta' (self-reliance), we need to decide on investing in some other Make in India programmes so that we get the technology, weapons and platforms we need in the near future," Singh said at the 22nd Subroto Mukerjee seminar on National Security Imperatives. The challenge for the Indian Air Force is to strike a balance between the need to become self-reliant and stay potent with the induction of new weapons and systems to meet its current requirements. "To catch up with the next generation of technology, we need to join hands with some other countries. We may be able to do it alone but it will take longer," the IAF chief said. The government is likely to approve a joint project involving French firm Safran and India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a lab under the DRDO, to develop and produce a 120-kilonewton thrust class engine to power the indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter jet or advanced medium combat aircraft. The Safran-GTRE combine, HT learns, will develop nine prototypes in 12 years, with 100% transfer of technology and intellectual property rights to India....