The defence ministry on Tuesday cleared domestic military purchases worth ₹13,700 crore, including the army’s proposals to buy 118 Arjun Mk-1A main battle tanks and equipping armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) with modern protection and countermeasure systems, officials familiar with the developments said.
While the new tanks will cost ₹8,380 crore, the protection systems for the army’s fleet of more than 3,000 AFVs (tanks and infantry combat vehicles) will cost ₹5,300 crore, the officials said. The order for the tanks could be placed with the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) this year, with five tanks to be delivered within 30 months of the signing of the contract, Hindustan Times has learnt. This will be followed by 30 tanks being delivered every year.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) – India’s apex procurement body – on Tuesday accorded its acceptance of necessity (AoN) for buying the tanks and the AFV protection systems to provide a push to the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India campaign). Defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired the DAC meeting.
“Three AoNs for an overall cost of ₹13,700 crore were accorded. All these AoNs are in the highest priority category of defence acquisition…These (systems) will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured,” the ministry said in a statement, without naming the proposals approved.
The proposals cleared by the DAC include 293 Nag anti-tank missiles developed by DRDO, 13 modified ICVs (called the Nag missile carrier or Namica), eight medium-power radars called Arudra, and practice ammunition for T-90 and T-72 tanks, officials said.
Surjitt Sahani
