To boost ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, the Ministry of Defence(MoD) signed multiple deals worth ~ Rs 32,000 crore for the Indian Armed forces- Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Army(IA).
- MoD has signed contracts for the acquisition of 11 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NG-OPV) and 6 Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV), equipment and BrahMos supersonic missiles for coastal defence for the Indian Navy and improved Akash Surface to Air missile(SAM) system and 12 Swathi Weapon Locating Radars (WLR) (Plains) for the Indian Army.
The contracts are as follows:
i.Contract for acquisition of 11 NG-OPVs
It was signed with Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata (West Bengal), at a total cost of Rs 9,781 crore. It was signed under Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)} category.
- Of the 11 ships, 7 will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by GSL and four by GRSE.
- The delivery of the ships is scheduled to commence from September 2026.
Benefit:
i.NG-OPVs will enable the Navy to maintain its combat capability and meet various operational requirements such as anti-piracy, counter-infiltration, anti-poaching, anti-trafficking, non-combatant evacuation operations, Search and Rescue (SAR) and protection of offshore assets.
ii.The construction of these ships will generate an employment of 110 lakh man-days over a period of seven and half years.
ii.Contract for acquisition of 6 NGMVs:
MoD signed a contract worth Rs 9805 with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for the acquisition of 6 Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV), and delivery is scheduled to commence from March 2027.
Key Points:
i.The NGMVs are highly equipped with offensive capabilities, including stealth, high speed, and heavy armaments. These vessels are primarily intended to engage in offensive operations against enemy warships, merchant ships, and land-based targets.
ii.These ships will be capable of conducting maritime strike operations, and anti-surface warfare operations.
iii.In defensive role, these ships would be employed for Local Naval Defence operations and seaward defence of the Offshore Development Area.
iv.The construction of these ships will generate employment of 45 lakh man-days over a period of nine years.
iii.Contract for Lynx-U2 Fire Control Systems:
MoD has also signed a contract worth Rs 1700 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru, Karnataka for the procurement of 13 Lynx-U2 Fire Control Systems which will be installed on the NGOPVs.
- The Lynx-U2 System is a 4th generation naval gun fire control system designed and developed indigenously.
iv.Contract for NGMMCB and BrahMos supersonic
MoD has also signed a contract worth Rs 1700 crore with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) for procurement of Next Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries (NGMMCB) (Long range) and BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
- The delivery of NGMMCBs is scheduled to commence in 2027.
v.Contract for Procurement of AWS
The contract for procurement of improved AWS for 3rd and 4th Regiments of Army Air Defence, comprising live missiles and launchers with upgrades, ground-support equipment, vehicles and infrastructure was signed with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), worth over Rs 8,160 crore.
Key Points:
i.The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
ii.It has seeker technology, reduced footprint, 360-degree engagement capability and improved environmental parameters.
iii.The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.
iv.Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry.
vi.Contract for Swathi WLR (Plains)
The contract for WLR Swathi (Plains) was signed with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at a cost of over Rs 990 crore.
- It is an indigenously designed weapon-locating radar (WLR) which is capable of locating guns, mortars and rockets, thereby facilitating their destruction through counter bombardment.
- Its induction is planned to be completed in 24 months.
Recent Related News:
i.On January 3, 2023, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) virtually attended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE)’ in New Delhi, Delhi.
ii.On January 14, 2023, the 7th Armed Forces Veterans Day was observed to recognize the contribution of the veterans of the Indian Armed Forces in serving the nation. Defence minister Rajnath Singh presided over the Celebrations.
About Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister– Rajnath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Ajay Bhatt (Constituency- Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
