The Defence Ministry on Tuesday cleared several military modernisation proposals worth over Rs 15,000 crore. The projects cleared include the Rs 7,000-crore acquisition of 48 more Mi-17V5 helicopters from Russia and Rs 4,700-crore induction of seven additional indigenous Akash missile squadrons.
The defence acquisitions council, chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, however, deferred decisions on two mega proposals — the Rs 80,000-crore Project-75-India for the construction of six advanced stealth submarines and the Rs 15,000 crore project for 110 naval utility helicopters.
Both the long-pending proposed projects are to be undertaken in India with foreign collaboration.
“The two projects need more deliberations,” said an officer. The biggest proposal to be cleared was the procurement of 48 medium-lift Mi-17V5 armed helicopters, used to ferry troops and cargo, for IAF. India is inducting 139 helicopters — one has already crashed — under deals worth over $2 billion <g data-gr-id="12">inked</g> with Russia.
The DAC also gave the go-ahead to the induction of seven squadrons of the Akash-2 surface-to-air missiles, which have a 25km range against hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones & subsonic cruise missiles, into IAF. IAF had earlier ordered eight Akash-1 missile squadrons for Rs 6,200 crore, six of which are being deployed in the northeast to counter China’s build-up of military infrastructure along LoAC.