Defence ministry inks 13 deals to boost Army's operational readiness

NEW DELHI: Defence ministry has inked 13 contracts worth Rs 1,982 crore for fast-track acquisition of air defence missiles, kamikaze drones, counter-drone systems and other equipment to bolster the Army's operational readiness after Operation Sindoor against Pakistan last month.

These contracts were inked specially to augment the Army's counter-terrorism capabilities under the fifth phase of the emergency procurement (EP) mechanism, which drastically cuts down the normal long-winded acquisition process, to ensure deliveries within a year.

A much larger EP-6 is also now underway to further boost as well as replenish arms stockpiles of the Army, IAF and Navy after cross-border hostilities with Pakistan from May 7 to 10, with an overall outer limit of around Rs 40,000 crore from the existing defence budget, as was reported by TOI earlier.

MoD Tuesday said induction of "modern and mission-critical" weapon systems and equipment through the 13 contracts will enhance "situational awareness, lethality, mobility, and protection" for troops deployed in counter-terror environments. "The EP route continues to be a key enabler in bridging urgent capability gaps and ensuring timely induction of vital operational equipment," an official said.

Among the systems contracted include an additional lot of Russian-origin Igla-1S very short range air defence systems (VSHORADS) with launchers and missiles, which have interception ranges of up to 6km. The Army has been inducting these man-portable Igla-1S systems, which are assembled in India by Adani Defence, in batches over the past couple of years.

Another contract was for about a dozen integrated drone detection and interdiction systems (IDDIS) with much-improved capabilities than the existing ones. Both Igla-1S and IDDIS were used during Operation Sindoor, among other air defence systems, to thwart the multiple waves of drone swarms launched by Pakistan.

The other deals were for low-level lightweight radars, night sights for rifles, bulletproof jackets, ballistic helmets and quick-reaction fighting vehicles. Several types of drones, including large remotely-piloted aerial vehicles and smaller loitering munitions, have also been ordered.

They include around 450 Nagastra-1R kamikaze drones for Rs 158 crore from Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd and Switch surveillance hybrid mini-UAVs with VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) capabilities for Rs 137 crore from ideaForge Technology, as reported by TOI Tuesday.

"Procurements under EP-6 will be much larger and include imports. There will be multiple contracts, each not exceeding Rs 300 crore," another official told TOI.

Apart from BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, jointly produced in India with Russia, IAF fighter jets used a wide array of foreign-origin precision munitions to carry out deep strikes first against nine terror hubs on May 7, and then at least 12 airbases and radar sites in Pakistan.

The weapons included Israeli-origin air-to-ground Crystal Maze-2 and Rampage missiles as well as the French-origin Scalp cruise missiles and Hammer air-to-ground precision-guided munitions.