India clears Rs820 billion defence deals

                   Approves procurement of 83 Tejas jets and 464 tanks

NEW DELHI: India on Monday cleared major defence proposals that will greatly boost its air and land power and future combat performance, reports foreign media. 

The proposals, which have been cleared, are about the procurement of close to 100 indigenised fighter jets, helicopters, about 600 mini-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and more than 400 tanks, altogether worth more than Rs82,000 crores (820 billion).

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, approved the procurement of 83 light combat aircrafts (LCA) Tejas MK1A.

The LCA is the smallest and lightest multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft of its class. It is designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Navy.

The DAC also approved the procurement of 15 light combat helicopters. It also approved the procurement of 464 T-90 tanks. The T-90 is a third generation Russian battle tank. It is in service of the Russian armed forces. India had first purchased T-90s from Russia in 2001.

“The DAC has also approved the purchase of 598 mini-UAVs under the ‘Buy Indian’ category. These UAVs will be for the infantry,” said an official. The UAVs will be used for aerial surveillance of areas up to five to seven kilometres ahead of the area of responsibility.

Six regiments of the Pinaka multi-rocket launcher for the Indian Army were also approved. During October last year, the DAC had cleared the 3rd and 4th Pinaka regiments. The Pinaka has been developed by DRDO. It saw service during the Kargil conflict. It has a maximum range of 65 kilometres and can fire 12 rockets within a minute.

The previous DAC meet on October 20 this year had ensured the progress to the final stage of acquiring the 145 number of Ultra Light Howitzer artillery guns from the US. The DAC had cleared the variations present in India’s demands regarding the artillery gun made to the US and what the US in turn offered.