India clears Rs 1 lakh cr defence purchases: Spy planes, minesweepers, and missile techniques get nod

India’s defence ministry on Thursday (July 3) okayed three main and 7 smaller acquisition tasks, with a complete price of INR 1 lakh crore ($11.7 billion). The tasks embrace specialised spy plane and superior minesweepers to quick-reaction air defence missiles and underwater autonomous vessels, reported Instances of India.

Notably, the ministry has solely given a preliminary nod or “acceptance of necessity” to date, which is simply step one within the arduous and lengthy acquisition course of.

One of many greatest tasks to safe the nod is the indigenous building of 12 mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) for round Rs 44,000 crore ($5.14 billion), which is able to take a few decade to materialise.

These warships would have the ability to detect, observe and destroy underwater mines put in by enemy forces.

At a time when Pakistan and China are more and more increasing maritime co-operation, creating the MCMVs is essential to safe India’s maritime boundaries and industrial delivery.

Fast response floor to air missile (QRSAM)

The second main mission includes the Rs 36,000 crore ($4.2 billion) acquisition of fast response surface-to-air missile (QRSAM) techniques, developed by DRDO, comprising three regiments for the Military and three squadrons for the Indian Air Power.

The Military Air Defence (AAD) has recognized a necessity for 11 such regiments.

These extremely cell QRSAMs, designed to neutralise hostile fighter jets, helicopters, and drones at ranges as much as 30 km, will improve India’s multi-layered air defence community, which proved important throughout
Operation Sindoor in countering Turkish-origin drones and Chinese language missiles launched by Pakistan from Could 7-10.

ISTAR plane

The third important mission is the Rs 10,000 crore ($1.17 billion) procurement of three ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, goal acquisition, and reconnaissance) plane.

These planes, outfitted with DRDO-developed indigenous sensors like artificial aperture radars, electro-optical, and infrared techniques, will allow exact focusing on of high-value enemy floor targets by fighter jets and missiles, offering real-time actionable intelligence on enemy infrastructure, troop build-ups, and actions.

One other permitted mission includes semi-submersible autonomous vessels for ISR missions, acquired below the ‘Make-II’ class, the place business funds prototype growth.

Moreover, two naval tasks have been greenlit: the procurement of super-rapid gun mounts (SRGMs), the first 76mm weapons for warships, by aggressive bidding, and DRDO-developed “processor-based moored mines” that detonate by detecting an enemy warship’s acoustic, magnetic, or stress signatures.