DAC to procure defence equipment worth over Rs ₹76,000 crores domest

New Delhi: An important decision was taken at the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The DAC approved the purchase of defence equipment worth ₹76,390 crores from domestic industries. This includes about eight next-generation corvettes for the Indian Navy and a provision of nearly ₹36,000 crores has been made for this purchase. Two days ago, two destroyers of the Indian Navy were decommissioned. The number of warships, corvettes and submarines retiring in this way will increase in the future. This could affect the capabilities of the Indian Navy. Therefore, it has become imperative to include new destroyers and warships in the Indian Navy from time to time. Taking note of this, the Navy will procure eight highly advanced destroyers with state-of-the-art capabilities. These advanced destroyers will have the capabilities for surveillance and patrolling and providing security. These will be built based on the requirements of the Indian Navy with the use of the latest technology.

In a statement, the defence ministry said that the process would be carried out at the domestic level only. In addition, DAC announced a decision to award a contract to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited-HAL to manufacture Dornier aircraft and Sukhoi-30 MKI aero-engines. The military will also procure Rough Terrain ForkLift Trucks (RTFLTs), Bridge Laying Tanks (BLTs), Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (Wh AFVs) and Weapon Locating Radars (WLRs), the defence ministry said. All this equipment will be manufactured in the country. Meanwhile, India, the largest buyer of defence equipment and weapons, is looking to emerge as an exporter of defence equipment in the near future. For this, the government is taking the initiative to produce defence materials and involve the private industry in this. Effects of the policy are becoming apparent and the production of defence equipment and research in the sector is gaining momentum.