DAC okays procurement of 6 mid-air refuellers,15 Airbus C295 aircraft

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, February 16

The Defence Acquisition Council, the apex decision-making body of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), on Friday cleared the procurement of military hardware worth Rs 84,560 crore. These include new-generation anti-tank mines, air defence tactical control radar, heavy weight torpedoes and software defined radios.

India is eyeing six mid-air refuellers, which will enhance the operational capabilities and reach of the IAF, the MoD said. The IAF presently uses Russian-origin IL-78 planes for this task. It is now looking at an American and European option. The IAF may issue tender for this or look to tie up with the manufacturer, sources said.

9 planes for navy

• The IAF had ordered 56 Tata-Airbus-produced C295 planes in 2021; the first one was delivered in September last year
• The project approved on Friday is for maritime reconnaissance with specialised surveillance pods enabling multi-mode operations
• The Navy will get nine of these planes and six will be for Coast Guard’s use

The DAC also okayed procurement of 15 Tata-Airbus-produced C295 planes. The IAF had ordered 56 of these planes in 2021; the first one was delivered in September last year. The project approved today is for maritime reconnaissance with specialised surveillance pods enabling multi-mode operations. The Navy will get nine of these planes and six will be for Coast Guard’s use. This will cost Rs 29,000 crore. Four of these planes will be made at the Airbus factory in Spain and the rest will be manufactured at the Tata-Airbus facility in India.

The mechanised forces of the Army will be equipped with canister-launched loitering ammunition worth Rs 800 crore. These have the ability to stay up in the air over an area and can be commanded from ground to hit a specific target.

The Army will also procure 25 new radars to detect slow, small and low-flying targets like UAVs that are nowadays used from across the border for dropping weapons, drugs and even spying. The radars will also be used for surveillance, detection and tracking of different targets. This will cost Rs 2,500 crore.

The DAC also okayed the procurement of 45,000 new-generation anti-tank mines having seismic sensor and provision of remote deactivation with additional safety features. This will be worth Rs 650 crore.

Heavy weight torpedoes have been okayed for the Kalvari-class submarines.