The Ministry of Defence has sanctioned an emergency procurement fund of nearly Rs 2,000 crore to bolster India's border security. The move is aimed at enhancing the operational capabilities of the armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir and equipping them to counter emerging threats in the region. To boost the Indian Army's operational readiness in countering cross-border terrorism, the Ministry has concluded 13 contracts worth Rs 1,980 crore under the emergency procurement mechanism.
Executed through fast-track procedures under the emergency procurement mandate, the initiative aims to enhance situational awareness, lethality, mobility, and protection for troops deployed in counter-terror environments. The acquisitions were completed within compressed timelines to ensure rapid capability augmentation.
List of weapons to be procured:
- Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction Systems (IDDIS)
- Low-Level Lightweight Radars (LLLR)
- Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS)- Launchers and Missiles
- Remotely Piloted Aerial Vehicles (RPAVs)
- Loitering Munitions, including Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) systems
- Various categories of drones
- Bulletproof Jackets (BPJs)
- Ballistic Helmets
- Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles (QRFVs) – Heavy and Medium
Army demonstrates weapons | Watch video
In an exclusive video, the weapons and equipment enhancing the Indian Army's capabilities through self-reliance are clearly visible. These indigenously developed systems reflect India's growing defence manufacturing strength and commitment to the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative.
As part of this initiative, the Army is set to receive over 4.25 lakh carbines, which will be indigenously manufactured by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Bharat Forge.
DRDO's Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) Director A Raju said that a total of 450 Nagastra-1R drones are being procured. These drones serve dual purposes, functioning both as surveillance drones and loitering munitions (suicide drones).
Rahul Dixit, Director of the Nagastra-1R project at Solar Industries, said that the future will be dominated by strategically different and modern warfare, and hence the Indian Army is being equipped accordingly. As part of this modernisation, around 120 Switch drones are being procured.
These drones will be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 137 crore, further enhancing the army’s surveillance and combat capabilities, he added.
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