TSAMTO, July 28. According to the Ministry of Defense of India, at a meeting of the Defense Procurement Council (DAC) held on July 26 under the chairmanship of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, purchases of equipment and weapons worth 287.32 billion were approved. rupees ($3.7 billion).
Among the proposals approved by the DAC at the meeting, three projects are being implemented in the interests of the Indian Ground Forces. Among them: delivery of guided rocket ammunition of extended range, Type-I remote mining ammunition (Area Denial Munition), a commander's version of an infantry fighting vehicle, which were developed by DRDO. The total value of these three proposals is 85.99 billion. rupees.
The firing range of guided rocket ammunition will be up to 75 km with a CVO of up to 40 m. The ADM Type-I rocket munition carries dual-purpose submunitions that allow hitting tanks, armored vehicles, as well as manpower in shelters and on equipment. The commander's version of the BMP is equipped with technologies for collecting, distributing, and exchanging information in real time to facilitate and increase the efficiency of decision-making by commanders.
Taking into account the need for enhanced protection from enemy sniper fire for units stationed along the line of control and in close combat, the DAC provided "Approval of Necessity" (Acceptance of Necessity – AoN) for bulletproof body armor with the 4th level of protection, according to the requirements of the Indian BIS standard.
For use in conventional and hybrid warfare and counterterrorism on the borders, the Council approved the purchase of carbines for close combat. This step should give impetus to the production of small arms in India.
Since, according to the assessment, unmanned technologies have proven their effectiveness in recent conflicts, in order to expand the capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces, DAC provided AoN for the purchase of reconnaissance UAVs and armed "swarm" UAVs in the category "Purchase of designed, developed and manufactured in India" (Indian-IDDM – Indian-indigenously designed, developed and manufactured) "Procedures Defense Procurement 2020" (DAP 2020).
The DAC also approved the Navy's proposal to purchase upgraded 1,250 kW gas turbine engines for Calcutta-class destroyers through Indian industry.
In order to improve security in the coastal areas of the country, the DAC also approved a proposal to purchase 14 high-speed patrol boats (FPV) for the Indian Coast Guard in the Indian-IDDM category.
