Defence Ministry to allocate ₹1.3 lakh crore for modern warships and battle tanks
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is scheduled for Tuesday.
Warships and battle tanks are at the forefront of India’s defence strategy as the nation faces potential threats from notorious neighbors. With ongoing tensions with China, a political shift in Bangladesh, and a long history with Pakistan, India will have to be on its toes. In response to the current scenario, the Defence Ministry is all set to approve some major projects, including seven hi-tech frigates for the Indian Navy and new generation Future Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCV) for the Indian Army, replacing the T-72 tanks. These hi-tech projects are combinedly valued at 1.3 lakh crores.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is scheduled for Tuesday. Reports suggest that the meeting will be attended by some top officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff, the three service chiefs, and the Defence Secretary.
Indian Navy’s vision
The Indian Navy is aiming to bag seven new warships as part of their Project 17 Bravo (the Indian Navy’s project for the construction of modern-day stealth frigates). Some Defence sources highlighted that, like the Nilgiri-class frigates, this project is expected to construct the most advanced stealth frigates ever built in India.
The sources further disclosed that DAC will likely issue a tender worth ₹70,000 crore to Indian shipyards to promote the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Indian government. The tender will be given to Category A shipyards like Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, Goa Shipyard Limited, Larsen & Toubro, and several others. To further escalate the construction process and counter the delays, the tender will be split between two parties, the source asserted.
As for now, two of these Indian shipyards—Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and Garden Reach Shipbuilders—are working under Project 17A in the construction of Nilgiri-class frigates, with four frigates being built by MDL and three by GRSE.
Indian Army’s proposal
Meanwhile, the Indian Army’s demand for new modern FRCVs will also be reviewed in the meeting. The army wants 1,700 FRCVs as a replacement for its outdated Russian-origin T-72 tanks. The new models are expected to be built under the Make-1 procedure of the Defence Acquisition Procedure.
The tender will host participation from multiple big companies like Bharat Forge and Larsen & Toubro. However, the Indian vendors will be asked to develop the tanks with over 60 per cent indigenous content. Reportedly, the Indian Army will finish the FRCV project in phases; each phase will host the construction of 600 tanks.
Other than that, the army is expected to propose acquiring around 100 BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles during the DAC. The FRCV project will cost more than Rs 50,000 crore.
According to the sources, these projects are very crucial for national security. This ₹1.3 lakh crore boost will modernise the country’s defence and enhance its capabilities.
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