Defense Ministry clears purchase of military equipment worth Rs. 3,687cr
What's the story
On Friday, the Defense Ministry announced the procurement of military equipment worth Rs. 3,687cr. The capital acquisition proposals for long-range Navy guns and the indigenous NAG anti-tank missiles were approved at a meeting of the defense acquisition council (DAC) chaired by Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The acquisitions are expected to boost the Indian Army's capabilities against enemy armour and long-range land targets. Here's more.
Details
Long-range guns for the Navy constitute bulk of the purchase
The DAC has approved the procurement of 13 127mm calibre guns for the Navy from US-based defense manufacturer BAE systems. The 13 guns come at a cost of over Rs. 3,000 crore, constituting the bulk of the sanctioned spending. The guns will be fitted aboard newly constructed Navy ships and will have a range of 24km, further extendable using Extended Range Gun Munitions (ERGM).
NAG missile system
The NAG missile system has top attack capabilities against armour
The rest of the sanctioned amount, Rs. 524cr, will go towards the acquisition of the indigenous NAG anti-tank missile system, developed by the DRDO. The purchase includes 300 third-generation anti-tank guided missiles, and 25 tracked missile carrier vehicles called NAMICA. The NAG system has top attack capabilities and, with a range of 4km, can destroy "all known enemy tanks" during both day and night.