More systems are coming to strengthen the Indian Defense Forces to penetrate the enemy’s fold. The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved a major deal worth Rs.80,000 crore.
Contracts including the indigenous construction of two nuclear submarines and the purchase of 31 Predator drones from the US have been approved. Nuclear submarines are buying drones with new modern systems as part of strengthening their surveillance systems.
It will be built at Visakhapatnam Shipbuilding Centre. The contract to build these two submarines will be worth around Rs 45,000 crore. 31 drones will be purchased from American General Atomics. India and the US will sign an agreement for this. Delivery of the drones will begin four years after the signing. Of the 31, the Navy will get 15. Eight each for Army and Indian Air Force. It has been decided to set up a base station for drones in Uttar Pradesh together with the army and air forces. The Predator drone is an American unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by General Atomics.
Meanwhile, the Navy had decided last month to complete three important contracts by the end of this year to strengthen Indian defense. Contracts for three new submarines, 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets, 31 MQ-9B drones etc. were to be realized. The decision was to strengthen the undersea defense by including three more Scorpene submarines to be built at the Masagaon Dockyard in Mumbai. An agreement has been reached with Bharat Electronics Limited.
Expected to cost around Rs 40,000 crore, the second deal is for the purchase of 26 Rafale-M fighter jets for INS Vikrant. The Navy is trying to complete its procedures quickly. With the arrival of these aircraft, INS Vikrant, the Indian Navy’s indigenous aircraft carrier, aims to be fully equipped and to increase the force’s capability in the maritime defense sector. The Navy’s third contract is to purchase 31 MQ-9 drones from the US The Rs 32,000 crore project is targeted to be completed by October 31.
‘Wagsheer’, the sixth and last submarine of the Calvary class, is ready to strengthen the strength of the Indian Navy in its maritime borders. The authorities announced that it will be commissioned in December. ‘Wagsheer’ was built under a project called Project 75 at a cost of Rs 23,562 crore. Officials informed that the final tests of the submarine built at Mazagon Dock Ship Builders Limited in Mumbai are being conducted. The Kalvari class (diesel-electric attack submarines) are built using technology transferred from French firm Naval Group. These will help in carrying out missions such as maritime warfare, inter-submarine warfare, long-range attacks and reconnaissance. Indian defense sector is going black with such an important project
