Defence Ministry clears Rs 1 lakh crore acquisition for armed forces
The preliminary approval includes advanced mine countermeasures, quick-reaction air defence missiles, spy aircraft, and autonomous underwater vessels
The Defence Ministry on Thursday (July 3) gave preliminary approval to three major and seven smaller acquisition projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore. The proposed defence acquisition includes spy aircraft, cutting-edge mine sweepers, quick-reaction air defence missiles and autonomous underwater vessels.
Advanced minesweepers
According to a Times of India report, the biggest among the proposed acquisitions is the 12 advanced mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) worth around Rs 44,000 crore. The report further stated that the acquisition of the minesweepers has only received “acceptance of necessity (AoN)”, the first step in the elaborate procurement procedure and will take nearly a decade to complete.
The minesweepers, displacing around 900-1,000 tonnes, will reportedly be capable of detecting and destroying underwater mines, which in the event of a naval conflict will thwart the adversaries’ bid to block Indian ports and harbours.
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Quick reaction air defence system
The second in the list is the new quick reaction surface-to-air missile (QRSAM) systems worth Rs 36,000 crore. According to media reports, this system, developed by DRDO, is highly mobile and effective in intercepting enemy fighter jets, drones and missiles at ranges of up to 30 km. The Army has reportedly sought the requirement of 11 such regiments.
Surveillance aircrafts
The third major project on the list is three intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) aircraft for identifying and tracking high-value enemy targets so that they can be swiftly targeted by the Indian military.
The aircraft will be equipped with advanced indigenous sensors and systems developed by DRDO, including synthetic aperture radars, electro-optical and infrared sensors for getting real-time information on enemy military infrastructure.
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Naval mines
The project will also include autonomous semi-submersible vessels for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, reported the Times of India.
The report further states that super-rapid gun mounts which are the primary 76mm guns mounted on warships and indigenous naval mines developed by DRDO.