According to a senior official at the prestigious aerospace and defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indian fighter jets will soon have digital maps installed to aid pilots in staying on course.

“No pilot will now inadvertently cross the border. They will not become lost as Group Captain Abhinandan did. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has prepared a digital map for the pilots, so they won’t need a manual map any more, according to DK Sunil, director of Engineering and R&D at HAL.

Wing Commander Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was taken prisoner by Pakistani forces following his ejection from his MiG-21, which had crashed after colliding with an enemy aircraft during the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. Three days later, he was given back.

The defense manufacturer anticipates that in such combat scenarios, digital maps will aid pilots in staying within bounds and avoiding lost routes. The Indian fighter jets are currently undergoing the process of being outfitted with the newest digital maps.

Pilots will be able to check the map on their cockpit display while flying and this will aid the navigation, Mr Sunil told NDTV.

Both 2D and 3D versions of the map will be available. If the pilot is in a hilly area, they will be notified beforehand. This will lessen the likelihood of mishaps in steep, hilly regions. He continued, “The digital map will also provide information about enemy air defense systems and military bases.

The digital maps are created and manufactured in India to increase defense industry self-sufficiency.

He claimed that they are being fitted in every fighter jet and that only a small number of nations have the capability to create these maps on their own.

“Every aircraft will have these installed. Both the hardware and software are domestically produced. These maps were previously only produced overseas, but we have now begun producing them,” Mr. Sunil stated.