Following a meeting of the defence acquisitions council, the Ministry of Defence approved several major long-pending projects worth over Rs 25,000 crore, including the Rs 11,929 crore lone bid by the Tata-Airbus consortium for 56 medium transport aircraft, Rs 2,900 crore for 145 American M-777 ultralight howitzers and Rs 3,000 crore for 200 Russian Kamov light utility helicopters.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar also cleared the acquisition of two Boeing 777-300 (extended range) aircraft from Air India for use by President Pranab Mukherjee and PM Narendra Modi as the Desi Air Force One.
Here’s a list of defence procurement the armed forces are counting on for the coming years:
Tata-Airbus consortium’s 56 C295 medium transport aircraft
It will be the first military aircraft that will be bought from a private firm and not Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
145 BAE Systems M-777 ultralight howitzers
The M777 can be air-lifted by the Chinook helicopter that India is also buying from the US.
38 Pilatus PC-7 Mk.2 basic trainer aircraft
The aircraft will be used to train rookie pilots of the Indian Air Force.
200 Ka-226T Sergei light utility helicopters
A ‘Make In India’ project with Indian private firms joining hands with the Russians to produce the helicopter in the country.
Clearance for equipping Navy ships with BrahMos missile
The missile has a range of 290 kms and travels at 3 times the speed of sound.
Approval for preparatory study for India’s second indigenously made aircraft carrier
It may be called INS Vishal and will be bigger than INS Vikrant (presently under construction). It might be nuclear powered and will be equipped with an electromagnetic launch system.
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