The Indian Army has approved Project Sanction Orders (PSOs) for 5 Make II projects, providing a significant stimulus to the ongoing “Make Projects.”
- The Indian Army is driving initiatives to promote “Make Projects,” which are the key engines for the infusion of specialized technology through indigenous development.
Make II Projects
Make II projects are primarily industry-funded projects that involve the development of prototypes through design, development, and innovative solutions by Indian vendors.
- An assurance of order is given after successful prototype development.
The Indian Army is already making progress on 43 ongoing Capital Acquisition projects under the Make II procedure.
- Currently, prototype development is underway on 22 of the 43 Make II projects, indicating 66% of the total cost of the projects (Rs 18,000 crores out of Rs. 27,000 crores).
The 5 projects with approved PSOs are as follows:
High Frequency Man Packed Software Designed Radio (HFSDR)
i.A PSO has been given to 14 Developing Agencies (DAs) under the Make II initiative for the development of a prototype of a Frequency Man-Packed Software-Designed Radio (HFSDR).
- The Indian Army intends to purchase 300 HFSDRs if the prototype is successfully developed.
ii.The lightweight HFSDR will enable long-distance radio communication by boosting data capacity and bandwidth along with security.
- Geographic information systems (GIS) will make blue-force tracking and map-based navigation easier, improving real-time situational awareness.
iii.These radio sets will replace the existing HF radio sets in the inventory, which have poor data handling capability and are outdated technology.
Drone Kill System
i.The Indian Army has approved a PSO to 18 DAs for the procurement of 35 sets of Drone Kill Systems under the Make II scheme, after the successful development of the prototype.
- The project is reserved only for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)/start-ups. It intends to encourage the indigenous anti-drone ecosystem.
ii.The Drone Kill System is a hard-kill anti-drone system being designed to combat low- Radio Cross Section (RCS) drones/Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), which may operate in any terrain and at any time of day or night.
- Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) have made significant impact on the modern battlefield.
Infantry Training Weapon Simulator (IWTS)
i.PSO has been given to 4 DAs to develop the prototype for the future procurement of 125 sets of IWTS under the Make II procedure.
- The IWTS is the first Make II project involving all three services (Army, Navy Air Force), with the Indian Army serving as the lead service.
- The project is reserved only for MSMEs/start-ups.
ii.IWTS will be utilized to improve young soldiers’ shooting skills on a range of weapons, offering user-friendly graphics to simulate battle scenarios.
- IWTS will save expenses for live ammunition while also minimizing the problems of finding firing ranges and adverse weather.
155mm Terminally Guided Munitions (TGM)
- Six DAs have received PSOs from the Make II scheme to develop 155 mm Terminally Guided Munition (TGM).
Medium Range Precision Kill System (MRPKS)
i.A PSO has been given to 15 DAs for the development of a prototype of MRPKS under the Make-II category of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.
- The Indian Army will procure 10 sets of MRPKS following the successful development of this prototype.
ii.Once launched, the MRPKS can “loiter” in the air for up to 2 hours, acquiring, designating, and engaging real-time high-value targets up to 40 kilometres away.
Recent Related News:
i.In September 2022, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence (MoD), handed over indigenously developed equipment and systems to the Indian Army in New Delhi, Delhi.
ii.The equipment/systems have been jointly developed by the Indian Army, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), and industry with a vision to modernize the Armed Forces under the “AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.”
About Indian Army:
Chief of the Army Staff – General Manoj Pande
Founded – 1895
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Theme of The Year 2022: “In Stride with The Future”
