India has approved defence acquisition proposals worth about ₹790 billion, or nearly $8.8 billion, to strengthen the operational capabilities of its armed forces, the defence ministry said on Monday.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, the approvals were granted by the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and cover a range of equipment for the Army, Navy and Air Force aimed at enhancing surveillance, strike capability and operational readiness.
Reuters reported that the council cleared proposals for the procurement of radars, radios, automatic take-off and landing recording systems and other critical equipment. PTI said the approvals include the purchase of loiter munition systems for the Indian Army’s artillery regiments, along with low-level lightweight radars, long-range guided rocket ammunition for the Pinaka rocket system and an integrated drone detection and interdiction system (Mk-II).
The defence ministry said loiter munition systems will be used for precision strikes on tactical targets, while the lightweight radars are intended to detect and track small, low-flying unmanned aerial systems. The long-range guided rockets are being procured to improve the range and accuracy of the Pinaka system for engaging high-value targets. The integrated drone detection and interdiction system, with enhanced range, is aimed at protecting vital Army assets in tactical battle areas and hinterland locations.
For the Indian Navy, PTI reported that approval was accorded for the procurement of high-frequency software-defined radios in manpack configuration and for leasing high-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems. The defence ministry said the remotely piloted aircraft will be taken on lease for continuous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance over the Indian Ocean region.
Reuters reports that the Defence Acquisition Council also approved several procurements for the Indian Air Force, including automatic take-off and landing recording systems, Astra Mk-II air-to-air missiles, full mission simulators and SPICE-1000 long-range guidance kits. The defence ministry stated that the automatic take-off and landing recording system will enhance aerospace safety by providing high-definition, all-weather recording of aircraft operations.
According to the ministry, the induction of Astra Mk-II missiles, with enhanced range, will improve the ability of fighter aircraft to engage adversary targets from longer standoff distances. It added that the full mission simulator for the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will strengthen pilot training cost-effectively and safely, while the SPICE-1000 kits will boost the Air Force’s long-range precision strike capability.
(Inputs from news agencies)
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