NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Defence on Monday accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) approvals worth ₹2.12 trillion for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, with around 82 per cent of the proposed procurements to be sourced from Indian industry, according to a statement by the ministry.
The proposals cover a range of military equipment for the armed forces, including artillery systems, helicopters, air defence systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and naval platforms.
The AoNs, cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council, are in-principle approvals for proposed defence procurement of equipment and systems and do not represent the actual award of contracts.
For the Indian Army, clearance was given for high-mobility vehicles, a self-propelled tracked gun system, a gunshot response system, light multi-role helicopters (LMRH), very short-range air defence systems (VSHORADS) and a platform-based counter-unmanned aerial system.
It also covers long-range drones, surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), systems combining surveillance with strike capabilities, and long-range kamikaze drones designed to hit targets by crashing into them.
“The LMRH will be used by both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force for reconnaissance and surveillance, combat, search and rescue of troops, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,” the statement read.
The high-mobility vehicles are expected to improve logistics and mobility in difficult terrain, while the tracked gun system will provide mobility and firepower for armoured regiments. The gunshot response system will help in real-time situational awareness. VSHORADS will help counter small aerial threats with a range of about eight kilometres. The counter-drone systems are intended to improve the survivability of tanks on the technology-intensive battlefield.
The approved procurement for the Navy includes an active offboard decoy system (AODS) and other major naval platforms. The AODS is intended to strengthen protection against adversary anti-ship missiles, while the indigenously designed and constructed naval platforms will improve the combat capabilities of the service.
For the Air Force, the approvals include helicopters, air defence systems, weapons and a mobile X-band Doppler weather radar system, addressing air transport challenges, while the radar system will provide high-resolution, localised weather updates in forward areas.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (pictured) on Monday called for “Aatmanirbharta 2.0” in the defence sector, emphasising the development of advanced technologies, strengthening research, and building supply chains to reduce import dependencies. He spoke at this year’s Swavlamban, the Indian Navy’s annual seminar on innovation and indigenisation. It has been 10 years since the government launched the Make in India campaign.
Source: Business Standard
