India Approves Rs 79,000-Crore Defence Push With Key Acquisition Proposals For Army, Navy And Air Force

In a major boost to the defence capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the procurement proposals worth approximately Rs 79,000 crore during a meeting held in Delhi today.

The council granted the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for several major procurements for the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

Indian Army: For the Indian Army, the approval has been granted for Nag Missile System (Tracked) Mk-II (NAMIS), Ground-Based Mobile Electronic Intelligence System (GBMES), and High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) equipped with Material Handling Cranes.

In a statement, the Defence Ministry said, "The procurement of NAMIS (Tracked) will enhance the Indian Army’s capability of neutralising enemy’s combat vehicles, bunkers & other field fortifications, whereas GBMES will provide round-the-clock Electronic Intelligence of enemy emitters. The induction of HMVs will significantly improve logistic support to the forces in diverse geographical terrains."

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Indian Navy: For the Indian Navy, the DAC has approved the procurement of Landing Platform Docks (LPDs), 30mm Naval Surface Guns (NSG), Advanced Light Weight Torpedoes (ALWT), Electro-Optical Infra-Red Search and Track Systems, and Smart Ammunition for the 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount.

Listing the crucial significance of the approved systems, the Defence Ministry stated, LPD procurement will enable the Navy to conduct amphibious operations with the Army and Air Force, the indigenously developed ALWT by DRDO can target conventional, nuclear, and midget submarines and 30mm NSG will boost the Indian Navy and Coast Guard’s capabilities in low-intensity maritime and anti-piracy operations.

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Indian Air Force: Similarly, for the Air Force, the permission of procurement has been granted for the Collaborative Long Range Target Saturation/Destruction System (CLRTS/DS) and other proposals. The statement emphasised the importance of CLRTS/DS, saying, "It has the capability of autonomous take-off, landing, navigating, detecting and delivering payload in the mission area."