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India Signs Rs 39,125 Crore Defence Deals for Missiles, Aero-Engines and Radars
India has finalized five significant defense acquisition contracts totaling Rs 39,125 crore, which include the purchase of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, radars, weapon systems, and aero-engines for MiG-29 jets. These procurements aim to enhance the combat capabilities of the armed forces and come amidst ongoing tensions with China along the eastern Ladakh border. These large-scale procurement projects will be carried out in accordance with the government's policy to enhance domestic defense manufacturing.
The contracts for acquiring platforms and weapon systems were signed in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, whose guidance facilitated the fruition of these deals, according to an official statement. "These deals will further strengthen indigenous capabilities, save foreign exchange and reduce dependency on foreign origin equipment manufactures in future", it said.
Two distinct agreements were established for the acquisition of BrahMos missiles. The initial deal involves procuring BrahMos missiles from BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd (BAPL) for a sum of Rs 19,518.65 crore. "These missiles would be utilized to meet combat outfit and training requirements of the Indian Navy," the defence ministry said. The second contract is for procurement of the ship-borne BrahMos system from the BAPL at a cost of Rs 988 crore.
These missiles are slated to serve as the Indian Navy's principal armament for maritime strike missions, with plans for their installation on numerous frontline warships. Additionally, a contract was inked with state-owned aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of RD-33 Aero Engines for MiG-29 aircraft at a project cost of Rs 5,249.72 crore.
The ministry said the aero engines will be produced by the Koraput Division of the HAL. "These aero engines are expected to fulfill the need of Indian Air Force (IAF) to sustain the operational capability of the MiG-29 fleet for the residual service life," it said. "The aero-engines will be manufactured under a transfer of technology license from the Russian original equipment maker. The programme will focus on indigenization of several high-value critical components, which would help increase the indigenous content of future repair and overhaul tasks of RD-33 aero-engines", it said.
The ministry also inked a deal with Larsen and Toubro Ltd for procurement of a batch of close-in weapon systems (CIWS). "The contract for procurement of CIWS has been signed with Larsen & Toubro Limited at a cost of Rs 7,668.82 crore," the ministry said. A contract has been finalized with Larsen and Toubro Limited for the procurement of a high-power radar system valued at Rs 5,700 crore. This system is intended to replace the Indian Air Force's current long-range radars with a modern active aperture phased array-based High Power Radar (HPR) equipped with advanced surveillance capabilities.
Larsen & Toubro said the CIWS is planned for deployment at various locations across India to protect vital assets from all types of low-flying, low signature aerial threats including unmanned aerial vehicles. "Winning these complex high-tech projects competitively after an extensive trial evaluation is a testimony to our capabilities in design, development, precision engineering and manufacturing of advanced platforms and systems for the Indian armed forces," said Arun Ramchandani, executive vice president and head of defence business at L&T.
The signing of the two contracts for procuring BrahMos missiles occurred shortly after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) gave its clearance. The CCS granted approval for acquiring more than 200 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles along with related equipment. BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between India and Russia, manufactures these supersonic cruise missiles capable of deployment from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.
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