Defence Ministry signs Rs 586 crore deal for APUs for T-72, T-90 tanks

The Defence Ministry signed a Rs 586 crore contract for indigenous Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) for T-72 and T-90 tanks. It also inked a Rs 1,943 crore deal to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones for the Indian Navy for 30 months.

Indigenous APUs for Army Tanks

The Ministry of Defence on Monday signed a contract with Accurate Industrial Controls Private Limited to procure Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) for T-72 and T-90 Tanks at a cost of Rs 586 crore. The contract was inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi.

The APU is an alternate source for generation of electric power for the fire control system, firing circuit, gun stabilisation system and other ancillaries of the tank. The induction of indigenously developed APUs will further strengthen the operational readiness, reliability and sustainability of the Indian Army’s Mechanised Formations.

This procurement is a significant step towards indigenisation of critical sub-systems of Armoured Platforms and demonstrates industry-led research and development (Make-II). This also shows the effectiveness of the mechanism in translating indigenous innovation into production and induction. The contract is aligned with the Government’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 and marks a notable milestone towards achieving Aatmanirbharta in Defence and building a resilient, self-reliant & globally competitive Indian defence industry.

MQ-9B Sea Guardian Drones for Navy

Earlier, the Ministry of Defence, on September 17, signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) for the leasing of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Navy for a period of 30 months. "The contract is valued at approximately Rs 1,943 crore," the ministry informed.

The contract was signed in the presence of Additional Secretary & Director General (Acquisition), Department of Defence, A Anbarasu, at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi. The MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE RPAS is equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads. The systems will provide persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance coverage over vast areas of the maritime domain. (ANI)

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