India clears $5.46bn military equipment purchase

NEW DELHI: India has approved the in-principle purchase of military equipment worth about $5.46 billion for its armed forces, including missiles, electronic warfare systems and kamikaze drones, according to a government statement.

The clearance was given on Friday by the Defence Acquisition Council, which is headed by the defence minister and includes senior military officers. The statement put the estimated cost of the approved acquisitions at around INR520 billion.

The government said the package for the army includes anti-drone and electronic warfare systems, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, portable anti-tank missiles and a jet based kamikaze drone system. It also approved plans for the air force to acquire a high-altitude unmanned aircraft platform for intelligence gathering and remote sensing.

For the navy, the council cleared the procurement of new naval mines, shipborne drones and a testing facility aimed at strengthening maritime defence and improving surveillance capabilities.

The official statement did not say over what timeframe the purchases would be made. It also did not specify whether the approved systems would be imported or produced locally.

Over the past decade, New Delhi has sought to cut its reliance on Russia, long its principal supplier of military hardware, by expanding procurement from countries including the United States and France while also encouraging domestic production.

India’s current defence budget stands at $85bn. Earlier this year, top officials also approved $39bn in defence purchases, including Rafale fighter jets from France.

India has also been moving to upgrade its naval capabilities. In December, it began ordering at least 75 ships and submarines, with most of them to be built domestically.

A four-day conflict with nuclear-armed rival Pakistan last year underscored for New Delhi the need to strengthen its defence capabilities. India is accelerating naval modernisation with an eye on China’s growing influence in key Indian Ocean shipping lanes.