NEW DELHI: India plans to sign at least four mega defense deals for fighters, submarines, helicopters and artillery guns, together worth over Rs 1.5 lakh crore, before the end of this fiscal year on March 31, as part of the long-term plan to boost the firepower and combat capability of the armed forces.
First off the block will be the around Rs 63,000-crore contract with France for direct procurement of 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets, which will operate from the deck of the local aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, defense sources told TOI.
The deal for the 22 single-seat maritime aircraft and four two-seat trainers for the Navy, along with weapons, simulators, crew training and performance-based logistics support for five years, as well as spare parts for the 36 Rafales already inducted by the IAF. , is now heading for final nod by the prime minister-led cabinet committee on security (CCS), sources added.
Another major deal with France will be for Rs 38,000 crore for three additional Scorpene diesel-electric submarines, with air independent propulsion (AIP) for greater underwater endurance, to be built at the Mumbai-based base. Mazagón Docks (MDL).
The three new ships, scheduled to launch in 2031, followed by the other two at intervals of one year each, will join the six Scorpene or Kalvari class submarines already built at MDL under the more than 23 billion project. of rupees. -75′. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to commission the sixth submarine ‘Vagsheer’, along with guided missile destroyer Surat and stealth frigate Nilgiri, on January 15.
“The Rafale deal is likely to be approved by the CCS before the end of this month, and will be followed by the Scorpene deal soon after,” a source said. Modi, incidentally, is scheduled to visit France for the Artificial Intelligence Summit on February 11 and 12.
The other two mega agreements are for 156 indigenous people Prachand light combat helicopters for around Rs 53,000 crore and 307 indigenous Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) for Rs 8,500 crore.
The 156 new Prachand helicopters (90 for Army, 66 for IAF), which are capable of conducting offensive operations in high altitude areas like Siachen Glacier and eastern Ladakh, will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. They will join the 15 such helicopters (10 from the IAF and five from the Army) already inducted under a Rs 3,887 crore contract signed in 2022.
The DRDO designed and developed ATAGS, which is touted to have a strike range of up to 48 km, will in turn be produced by Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems.
With Bharat Forge emerging as the L-1 (lowest bidder), it will manufacture 60% of the weapons, while Tata will produce the remaining 40%. The order for 307 ATAGS is likely to increase in the future because the Army plans to incorporate “more advanced versions” for a total requirement of 1,580 weapons of this type.
“The objective is to sign the four agreements within this fiscal year. Work is also underway to review the Defense Acquisition Procedure-2020 to further reduce procurement timelines, streamline processes and provide a level playing field for all,” another source said.