Helicopter upgrades, guns and more... MoD clears acquisition proposals worth Rs 7,800 crore
With the goal of bolstering the operational capabilities of the armed forces, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 7,800 crore on Thursday.
FollowAiming to enhance the operational capabilities of the armed forces, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh headed the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Thursday accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth around Rs 7,800 crore. The proposals are to procure an Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite, Ground-Based Autonomous System, 7.62x51 mm Light Machine Gun (LMG) and Bridge Laying Tank (BLT), among others.
For the Indian Air Force, the DAC has granted AoN for procurement and installation of Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite on Mi-17 V5 Helicopters under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.
“It will enhance the survivability of Helicopters. The EW Suite will be procured from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL),” an official said.
For the Indian Army, the defence ministry’s highest decision-making body has also accorded AoN for procurement of the Ground-Based Autonomous System for mechanised infantry and armoured regiments of the Indian Army. These systems will enable various operations like unmanned surveillance, logistic delivery of ammunition, fuel and spares and casualty evacuation on the battlefield.
The DAC has also given a green signal to the proposals for procurement of a 7.62x51 mm Light Machine Gun (LMG) and Bridge Laying Tank (BLT). The induction of LMG will enhance the fighting capabilities of infantry forces while the induction of BLT will result in faster movement of Mechanised Forces.
The AoN for procurement of ruggedised laptops and tablets for the Indian Army under Project Shakti has also been accorded. All these procurements will be sourced from Indigenous vendors only.
