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The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Monday gave a nod to the armed forces’ separate proposals for the purchase of different equipment worth ₹76,390 crore through indigenous manufacturers.
In a meeting chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, the DAC accorded fresh acceptance of the necessity for procurement of Rough Terrain Fork Lift Trucks (RTFLTs), Bridge Laying Tanks (BLTs), Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (Wh AFVs) with Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) and Weapon Locating Radars (WLRs) through domestic sources with emphasis on indigenous design and development, said the ministry.
The move, said the defence ministry, will substantially boost the Atmanirbhar initiative of the Centre by offering business opportunities to the Indian defence industry.
Strengthening capabilities
A substantial outlay in the DAC nod for proposals is for the Indian Navy, which has got the go ahead for procurement of Next Generation Corvettes (NGC), which are comparatively small warships, at an estimated cost of approximately ₹36,000 crore. Eight of these NGCs of about 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes are supposed to be constructed on a new in-house design by the Indian Navy using latest technology of ship building. It will take at least five years to be ready for commissioning and would strengthen the Navy’s capabilities and push the government’s initiative of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region).
The ministry noted that, “These NGCs will be versatile platforms for a variety of roles, viz. surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, Surface Action Group (SAG) operations, search and attack, and coastal defence,” .
The DAC, pointed out the ministry, also agreed to a proposal for the manufacture of Dornier aircraft and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by the navratna CPSE M/s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with a focus on enhancing indigenisation, particularly of aero-engine materials.
‘Digital Coast Guard’ project was also cleared, which would allow a pan-India secure network for the digitising of various surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance and HR processes in Coast Guard.
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