The Defence Acquisition Council, headed by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, has given the green signal to projects worth approximately Rs 80,000 crore, stated media report, citing sources.
Among the approved projects is the procurement of air defence control radar and numerous other military equipments, marking significant progress in enhancing the country’s defence capabilities.
In the recently announced Interim Budget for FY25, the Central Government allocated Rs 6.21 lakh crore for the defence sector, reflecting a 4.72 per cent increase from the previous year’s allocation of Rs 5.94 lakh crore. This allocation underscores the government’s commitment to strengthening national security.
A substantial portion of the budget, 27.67 per cent, is allocated towards capital expenditure, aimed at upgrading and equipping the Armed Forces with cutting-edge technology and weapons systems. Defence capital spending is still trending upward and encouraging Aatma Nirbharta or Self Reliance.
The Defence Ministry has further approved a proposal to procure nine maritime surveillance aircraft for the Indian Navy and six maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard. These acquisitions, valued at approximately ₹29,000 crore, will significantly bolster Bharat’s maritime surveillance capabilities.
The maritime patrol planes will be constructed based on the C-295 transport aircraft, manufactured in Bharat through a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus. This initiative aligns with the government’s Make in India initiative, aiming to enhance indigenous defence production capabilities while meeting security needs.
Indian Coast Guard Chief Director General Rakesh Pal highlighted plans for acquiring long-range maritime surveillance aircraft, stressing upon the Air Force’s involvement in the process. Contracts for six C295 transport aircraft will be signed with Tata Advanced Systems Limited or TASL, enhancing surveillance, reconnaissance, and patrol capabilities.
These new additions to the Indian Navy and Coast Guard fleets are expected to enhance surveillance, reconnaissance, and patrol capabilities.
Recently, the Indian Air Force or IAF inducted the first Made in Spain C-295 transport aircraft. Among these, at least 40 will be produced in Bharat at a Tata facility in Gujarat’s Vadodara and the first 16 will arrive in fly-away condition from Spain. The latest approval to strengthen the Navy and Coast Guard surveillance capabilities will take the Tata Airbus order book to 71 from the current 56.
