- India does not disclose a timeline for the acquisitions.
- New Delhi approves purchase of on-board drones.
- New Delhi’s current defense budget stands at $85 billion.
India on Friday approved the purchase of a range of military equipment for its defense forces worth $5.46 billion, including missiles, electronic warfare systems and Kamikaze drones.
The acquisition was approved “in principle” by the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), composed of senior military officers and headed by the Minister of Defense, according to a government statement.
The statement said the estimated cost of the deal would be around INR 520 billion ($5.46 billion).
He did not specify the period over which the acquisitions would be made or whether the systems approved for purchase would be imported or produced domestically.
Over the past decade, New Delhi has sought to reduce its dependence on Russia, its traditional main supplier of military equipment, by turning to other countries such as the United States and France, while boosting its domestic production.
The deal included the purchase of anti-drone and electronic warfare systems, medium-range man-portable surface-to-air and anti-tank missiles and a “jet-powered Kamikaze drone system” for the Indian Army, the government said.
The DAC also approved the acquisition of new naval mines, ship-borne drones and a testing facility to strengthen maritime defense and increase surveillance capabilities. India also planned to purchase a high-altitude unmanned aircraft platform for the Air Force, which would be used for intelligence gathering and remote sensing.
New Delhi’s current defense budget stands at $85 billion.
At the same time, India is also working to rapidly modernize its navy.
In December, New Delhi began ordering at least 75 ships and submarines, most of them built domestically.
Top officials earlier this year approved the purchase of defense equipment worth $39 billion, including Rafale jets, from France.
