Defence Ministry approves procurement proposals worth Rs 4,276 crore for Indian Army, Navy

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (File photo)

The Defence Ministry on January 10 approved three procurement proposals, including that of the HELINA anti-tank guided missiles, at a total cost of Rs 4,276 crore.

The Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for three capital acquisition proposals, amounting to Rs 4,276 crore.

The procurement proposals were cleared by the DAC, which is headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. They are expected to bolster the combat capabilities of the Indian armed forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

"In view of the recent developments along the Northern borders there is a need to focus on effective Air Defence (AD) weapon systems which are man-portable and can be deployed quickly in rugged terrain and maritime domain," the Defence Ministry said.

All three proposals -- two of the Indian Army and one of the Indian Navy -- are under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category, the ministry informed.

The DAC, which is the Defence Ministry's highest decision-making body on the acquisition, also gave a go-ahead for the procurement of a batch of VSHORAD missiles -- under design and development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) -- to boost the air defence system along the LAC.

The ministry said procurement of VSHORAD, as a robust and quickly deployable system, will strengthen the air defence capabilities.

Commenting on the nod for the procurement of the HELINA anti-tank guided missiles, the ministry said: “The DAC accorded AoN for procurement of HELINA anti-tank guided missiles, launchers and associated support equipment which will be integrated to the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).”

This missile is an essential part of the weaponisation of ALH for countering enemy threats. "Its induction will strengthen the offensive capability of the Indian Army," it added.

Further, the DAC also granted approval for the procurement of a Brahmos Launcher and Fire Control System (FCS) for the Shivalik class of ships and next-generation missile vessels (NGMVs) for the Indian Navy.

"With their induction, these ships would have enhanced capability of carrying out maritime strike operations, interdicting and destroying enemy's warships and merchant's vessels," the Defence Ministry said.

The development comes within a month of the Ministry of Defence approving the procurement of a number of military platforms and weapons including light tanks, anti-ship missiles and long-range guided bombs at a cost of Rs 84,328 crore.

India has been bolstering its overall combat capabilities along the LAC in view of the eastern Ladakh border standoff.