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NEW DELHI: The defence ministry connected Thursday gave the preliminary motion to a slew of subject modernization projects, ranging from amphibious warfare ships and equipped swarm drones to Russian S-400 aerial defence missiles and indigenous Nag anti-tank rocket systems, collectively worthy astir Rs 79,000 crore ($9 billion).The biggest task to get the “acceptance of necessity” (AoN), which is the archetypal measurement successful the long-winded procurement process, from the Rajnath Singh-led defence acquisitions assembly (DAC) was for the operation of 4 ample amphibious warfare ships oregon “landing level docks (LPDs)” astatine a outgo of Rs 33,000 crore.The LPDs, each with a displacement of implicit 20,000-tonne, volition beryllium built astatine an Indian shipyard to beryllium selected aft competitory bidding.
“The LPDs volition assistance the Navy undertake amphibious operations on with Army and IAF arsenic good peacekeeping and catastrophe alleviation missions,” an authoritative said.Another mega task to beryllium cleared was the acquisition of a ample fig of surface-to-air missiles -- with ranges of 120, 200, 250 and 380-km -- for the S-400 Triumf aerial defence systems for implicit Rs 10,000 crore. “The ample rocket bid volition replenish arsenic good arsenic physique reserves for the S-400 systems, which were a game-changer during the cross-border hostilities with Pakistan successful May,” different authoritative said.
IAF main Air Chief Marshal A P Singh precocious said the S-400 systems changeable down “at slightest 5 high-tech Pakistani fighters successful the F-16 and JF-17-class” successful the aerial arsenic good arsenic an ELINT (electronic intelligence) oregon AEW&C (airborne aboriginal informing and control) craft successful the “longest termination ever achieved” astatine a region of 314-km during Operation Sindoor.IAF volition adjacent twelvemonth get the past 2 of the 5 S-400 squadrons, ordered from Russia nether the $5.43 cardinal (Rs 40,000 crore) declaration successful 2018, aft a agelong hold owed to the Russia-Ukraine war.With Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled to sojourn India successful early-Dec, plans are being finalised to procure astatine slightest 3 much S-400 squadrons, arsenic was reported earlier by TOI.Another important Rs 5,500 crore acquisition is for swarm drones, with an implicit 1,000-km range, called the “collaborative long-range people saturation and demolition systems” nether the ‘Make-II’ category, wherever prototype improvement is funded by the industry.
“These systems volition beryllium susceptible of autonomous take-off, landing, navigating, detecting and delivering payload successful the people areas similar force airfields,” the authoritative said.For the Army, AoNs were accorded for the procurement of 107 Nag Mark-2 rocket (tracked) systems for astir Rs 2,500 crore arsenic good arsenic ground-based mobile ELINT systems (GBMES) and high-mobility vehicles (HMVs) with cranes.“The NAMIS (tracked) volition heighten the Army’s capableness of neutralizing force tanks, combat vehicles, bunkers and different tract fortifications.
GBMES volition supply round-the-clock physics quality of force emitters. HMVs, successful turn, volition importantly amended logistical enactment successful divers geographical terrains,” the authoritative said.Apart from LPDs, the Navy volition besides get 30mm aboveground guns astatine a outgo of Rs 1,200 crore for low-intensity maritime operations and anti-piracy roles; precocious light-weight torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare; electro-optical infra-red hunt and way systems; and astute ammunition for 76mm ace accelerated weapon mounts connected warships.
