Defence ministry clears military procurement worth Rs 1.05 lakh crore

New Delhi: The Defence Ministry on Thursday approved purchase of ten military equipment and weapons worth Rs 1.05 lakh crore which includes three regiments of quick reaction surface-to-air missiles for the Indian Army and 12 mine counter measure vessels for the Indian Navy.

All the procurement, approved by the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, will be made from Indian manufacturers.

The approval comes within a few weeks of Operation Sindoor, the four day conflict between India and Pakistan on the western front in the wake of New Delhi hitting at the terror infrastructure inside Pakistan and in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a retaliatory action after the dastardly Pahalgam terror strike that killed 26 civilians.

The DAC approved purchase of armoured recovery vehicles, electronic warfare system, integrated common inventory management system for the Tri-Services and surface-to-air missiles for the army.

While the officials didn’t disclose the project cost and the number of units, sources said the permission was for three regiments of quick reaction surface to air missiles at a cost of nearly Rs 30,000 crore.

The QRSAMs are mobile area air defence units with a range of 30 km. Bengaluru based Bharat Electronics Limited will be the manufacturer.

“These procurements will provide higher mobility, effective air defence, better supply chain management and augment the operational preparedness of the armed forces,” the defence ministry said.

The procurement panel also sanctioned buying of moored mines, mine counter measure vessels, super rapid gun mount for the warships and submersible autonomous vessels. The 12 MCMV, according to sources, was approved at a cost of nearly Rs 44,000 crore.

The MCMV approval comes after at least three failed attempts to procure them in the last 15 years. Around seven years back, India's negotiations with a South Korean firm to buy the minesweeper vessels, broke down in view of a variety of issues.

The Indian Navy does not operate any minesweeper at the moment and has been pitching for acquiring the specialised warships that are crucial for detection, tracking and destroying underwater mines that are used by the enemy to disrupt maritime trade, choke harbours and ports, and disrupt shipping.

“These procurements will enable mitigation of potential risks posed to the naval and merchant vessels,” the ministry notes.