Military equipment, platforms worth Rs 76,390 cr okayed

New Delhi: In a significant move, the defence ministry on Monday approved the procurement of military equipment and platforms worth Rs 76,390 crore from domestic industries.

The procurement proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the ministry said.

For the Indian Navy, the DAC accorded approval for the procurement of next generation corvettes (NGCs) at an estimated cost of around Rs 36,000 crore, it said.

These NGCs will be versatile platforms for a variety of roles namely surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, Surface Action Group (SAG) operations, search and attack and coastal defence.

The NGCs would be constructed based on a new in-house design of the Indian Navy, using latest technology of ship building, the ministry said in a statement.

The DAC also approved a proposal for the manufacture of Dornier aircraft and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with a focus on enhancing indigenisation.

For the Indian Army, the DAC accorded a fresh approval for the 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 an emphasis on indigenous design and development.

"In pursuance of the government's vision for digital transformation in defence, 'Digital Coast Guard' project under 'Buy' (Indian) category has been approved by the DAC," the ministry said.