India Defence Deals: The Indian defence system is getting ready for some big new projects that will make the Army, Navy and Air Force stronger. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by defence minister Rajnath Singh, will meet on November 23 to talk about important deals. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the heads of the three forces will also be part of the meeting.
India Defence Deals
The main topics of the meeting will be rocket launchers for the Army, surface-to-air missiles for the Navy and Air Force, and a big Rs. 33,000 crore deal for four Landing Platform Docks or LPDs. These large ships can carry troops, tanks, and helicopters for sea attacks. They are very big, almost like small aircraft carriers weighing more than 20,000 tons.
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The report said “Rocket launchers for the Army, surface-to-air missiles for the Navy and the Air Force and possibly, a big-ticket moment, a Rs 33,000 crore deal for four LPDs or Landing Platform Dock, an amphibious warfare vessel, also for the Navy.”
The Defence Procurement Board (DPB), which is led by defence secretary R.K. Singh, has already cleared these deals. All of them are made in India as part of the government’s atmanirbharata plan.
Missiles and Rocket Systems
The Navy and the Indian Air Force want to buy the MR-SAM system, which means medium-range surface-to-air missiles. These are made by Bharat Dynamics and have a range of around 100 km. The Air Force and Navy plan to buy more than 300 of these missiles. They can destroy enemy aircraft and missiles before they reach Indian territory.
The Army is also looking to get new Pinaka rocket launchers. These are powerful multi-barrel rocket systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Each Pinaka can fire rockets up to 90 km away. The Army plans to get around 1,000 rockets to strengthen its artillery.
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The Army also asked for special vehicles to carry air-defence command and control equipment. These vehicles were very useful during Operation Sindoor, which was a four-day fight with Pakistan. The report says “The country’s air-defence system worked very well during Operation Sindoor the four days of fighting with Pakistan’s armed forces.”
There was some confusion about whether the DAC meeting could happen on October 23 since the Naval Commanders Conference is also planned on the same day. Now it is confirmed that both events will take place right after Diwali on October 23.
