Shafaqna Pakistan: India on Friday approved the acquisition of military equipment worth an estimated $5.46 billion to strengthen its armed forces, including missiles, electronic warfare systems and kamikaze drones.
The procurement was approved in principle by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the country’s highest defence procurement body, which is headed by the defence minister and includes senior military officials, according to a government statement.
The statement said the proposed acquisitions are valued at approximately Rs520 billion (about $5.46 billion).
It did not specify the timeline for the purchases or whether the approved equipment would be sourced domestically or imported.
Over the last decade, New Delhi has sought to reduce its dependence on Russia, its traditional main supplier of military equipment, by turning to other countries like the United States and France and by boosting domestic production.
The deal included the purchase of anti-drone and electronic warfare systems, medium-range surface-to-air and portable anti-tank missiles and a “Jet-Based Kamikaze Drone System” for the Indian army, the government said.
The DAC also approved the procurement of new naval mines, shipborne drones, and a testing facility to strengthen maritime defence and boost surveillance capabilities. India also planned to purchase a high-altitude unmanned aircraft platform for the air force, to be used for intelligence gathering and remote sensing.
New Delhi’s current defence budget is $85 billion.
A four-day conflict with Pakistan last year, in which India lost seven aircraft, highlighted the need for Delhi to upgrade its defence capabilities.
India is also pushing to rapidly modernise its navy with an eye on Beijing’s growing influence in the key Indian Ocean shipping lanes.
In December, New Delhi began ordering at least 75 ships and submarines, most of them built domestically.
Top officials earlier this year approved the purchase of $39 billion worth of defence equipment, including Rafale jets from France.
Source: Express Tribune
