Defense

During the past 3 years, 79 projects amounting to Rs.8201 Crores directly pertaining to development of new defence equipments i.e. Cruise Missile, Anti-Ship Missile, Surface-to-Air Missile, Air-to-Air Missile, Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket, Mounted Gun System, Ammunitions, Electronic Warfare System, Radars, Torpedoes, High Endurance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle etc. have been undertaken.

Providing further boost to ‘Make in India’, Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) for supply of 1,300 Light Specialist Vehicles to the Indian Army, at a cost of Rs 1,056 crore, in New Delhi on March 22, 2021. The induction of vehicles is planned to be completed in four years.

Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2020 envisages the basic tenets of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ and encourages indigenous designing and manufacturing of defence items. The proposals for indigenous design and manufacturing are considered under ‘Make’ Procedure of DAP-2020.

Last year, the IAF assigned Flight Lieutenant Shivangi Singh to its first Rafale squadron based in Ambala. Ten women have been commissioned as fighter pilots after the experimental scheme for their induction into the IAF’s combat stream was introduced in 2015, a watershed in the air force’s history. Most of them started off with the MiG-21.

Indian Army facing Chinese aggression at the borders will soon be fortified with all new mine-proof Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICV) and special high altitude vehicles. The military hardware is being manufactured at Ordnance Factory Medak, at Yeddumailaram in Sangareddy district. The FICV will be equipped with Instant Fire Detection and Suppression system (IFDSS).

As part of Mission Sagar – IV, Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa arrived at Port Ehoala, Madagascar on 22 March 2021. The ship will deliver a consignment of 1,000 Metric Tonne of rice and 100,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets in response to an appeal made by Madagascar for assistance to deal with natural calamities.

Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for supply of 4,960 MILAN-2T Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) to Indian Army at a cost of Rs 1,188 crore, in New Delhi on March 19, 2021. This will further boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government. It is a ‘Repeat Order’ of contract, which was signed with BDL on March 08, 2016.

During the visit, the ship will undertake PASSEX and joint patrolling in Malagasy waters along with the Malagasy Navy on March 24, 2021. The visit of INS Shardul highlights the strengthening defence ties between India and Madagascar as co-partners in the Indian Ocean Region.

The prestigious assignment for New India@75 undertaken by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) under the Central Government’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat Policy for establishment of a new ammunition hardware project to manufacture 125 mm FSAPDS (Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot) AMK 339 ammunition with Russian collaboration is well on course for timely completion at the High Energy Projectile Factory (HEPF) here.

In a move that boosts modernization of Indian Air Force (IAF) and makes it ready for future air combat, the Modi government may approve indigenous fifth-generation fighter programme, the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).

The design and development of first prototypes set to cost around Rs 15,000 crore and the stealth fighter could be put into production in the next seven to eight years.