New Delhi: In the wake of ongoing border standoff in Eastern Ladakh between India and China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh-headed Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Thursday approved the proposal for procurement of 21 MIG-29 along with upgradation of existing 59 Mig-29 aircraft and procurement of 12 Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft from Russia.
The MIG 29 procurement and upgradation from Russia is estimated to cost Rs 7,418 crore while the Sukhoi-30 MKI will be procured from Benguluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at an estimated cost of Rs 10,730 crore, the Defence Ministry said in a statement here on Thursday.
“In the current situation and the need to strengthen the Armed Forces for the Defence of our borders and in line with Prime Minister’s clarion call for ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’, the Defence Acquisition Council in its meeting of July 2, held under the Chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accorded approval for capital acquisitions of various platforms and equipment required by the Indian Armed Forces,” the statement said.
''The proposals for an approximate cost of Rs 38,900 crore were approved. With a focus on indigenous design and development, these approvals include acquisitions from Indian Industry of Rs 31,130 crore. All equipment are to be manufactured in India involving the Defence Industry with the participation of several MSMEs as prime-tier vendors,”it added.
The Indigenous content in some of these projects is up to 80 per cent of the project cost.
DAC approves capital acquisition of various platforms & equipment worth Rs 38,900 crore; https://t.co/2buChC48K4 @DefenceMinIndia @rajnathsingh @RajnathSingh_in @IAF_MCC @drajaykumar_ias @indiannavy @adgpi @PIB_India @DRDO_India
— ADG (M&C) DPR (@SpokespersonMoD) July 2, 2020
A large number of these projects have been made possible due to Transfer of Technology by DRDO to the Indigenous Industry.
These include Pinaka ammunitions, BMP armament upgrades and Software Defined Radios for the Army, Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile Systems and Astra Missiles for Navy and Air Force. The cost of these Design and Development proposals is in the range of Rs 20,400 crore, the DAC said in a release.
Acquisition of new and additional missile systems will add to the firepower of three armed services.
While the acquisition of Pinaka missile systems will enable raising additional regiments over and above the ones already inducted, the addition of Long-Range Land Attack Missile Systems having a firing range of 1000 Km to the existing arsenal will bolster the attack capabilities of the Navy and the Air Force, the ministry further added.
Similarly, induction of Astra Missiles having Beyond Visual Range capability will serve as a force multiplier and immensely add to the strike capability of Navy and Air Force.
Secretary DD R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy stated that Air to air missile Astra, Software Defined Radio, Pinaka munitions and Land Attack Cruise Missile are state of the art systems developed by DRDO.
Armed forces and industry will be immensely benefitted with the manufacturing of these indigenous systems, he said.
