Procurement of 1.86 lakhs bulletproof jackets for the Indian Army

New Delhi: A decision to purchase 1.86 lakhs advanced bulletproof jackets for the army has been made. These bulletproof jackets will be manufactured in India under the ‘Make in India’ policy. Agreement worth Rs. 639 crores has been signed with an Indian company for the supply of these jackets. On the background of mounting tensions on both the Pakistani as well as the Chinese borders, this decision proves to be significant.

The military has repeatedly raised its demand for advanced bulletproof jackets. This demand was accepted in principle by the Defence Ministry, a few months ago. The major demand from the army was for bulletproof jackets that were lightweight, flexible and would provide security from all the angles. Accordingly, a few companies had submitted their proposals. Jackets from some of these companies were being tested. The ‘Stringent Field Evaluation Tests’ for these jackets were being conducted over the last few months. The jacket that cleared all these tests has been selected for the military.

Agreement was signed with the Indian company SMPP Pvt. Ltd. The company has claimed that the jackets being supplied to the military conform to international standards. These jackets are made of ‘Boron Carbide Ceramic’ and this material is used for ballistic protection.

These jackets are very light in weight. They are also flexible and convenient to wear. These bulletproof jackets will protect the soldiers even from ‘Hard Steel Core Bullets’. The company has said that these will be very useful during the war and for counter-terrorism operations.

Over the last few years, efforts were already being made to modernise the military. But these are being expedited now. The decision for purchase of the advanced bulletproof jackets is said to be a part of the same initiative. During the recently concluded Russia visit of the Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, purchase and manufacture of AK-103 rifles under the ‘Make in India’ policy was also discussed.

Important decisions about the advanced tanks and artillery have been taken before this. Now the final decision for purchase of advanced bulletproof jackets has also been made.