Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday highlighted the growing need for expertise in aerospace medicine in view of the continuous increase in air and space traffic.

He made this assertion after visiting Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Bengaluru.

He is the first defence minister to visit the institute, defence ministry said here.  He was briefed about the unique role of IAM in pilot training, their medical evaluation and aeromedical research.

Rajnath Singh said “From the defence perspective, space has emerged as a major domain in warfare. We have taken a step forward in this direction and mastered the most-advanced technologies such as anti-satellite. India has also become the fastest growing aviation market in the world.

As we are touching new heights in space, we need to explore more possibilities in aerospace medicine. There is a need for increased R and D as research in any high-end complex technology provides benefits to many fields,” he said.

The defence minister underscored the importance of aerospace medicine, terming it as critical for dealing with challenges such as micro-gravity, radiation, and isolation faced by a human being in space, while also addressing physical and mental changes.

“Whether it is an issue related to neurons, bone loss or mental problems, it is the responsibility of aerospace and space medicine to tackle these challenges. The field must prepare itself for bigger responsibilities in the future,” he said.

The defence minister also said the aerospace sector is going to witness an unprecedented growth in the times to come and it will be pivotal in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. “The sector is going to play a crucial role in deciding technological advancements, national security, and economic growth. In addition, it will be central in achieving milestones such as satellite launching, inter-planetary missions and commercial space services,” he said. Rajnath Singh also inspected the Dynamic Flight Simulator and High Performance Human Centrifuge used for high-G training of fighter pilots and the Spatial Disorientation Simulator for training the pilots of the Armed Forces to avert the risk of spatial disorientation in flight.