Ashish Ranjan
In a significant boost to ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in Defence, the government signed multiple contracts worth over Rs 36,400 crores on Thursday, giving the Army, Navy, and Indian Air Force more firepower.Bharat Dynamics Limited signed a contract to furnish the Indian Army with two regiments of upgraded Akash air defense missile systems.
ANI reported on Thursday that a contract for the third and fourth regiments of the missile system has been signed with BDL and will cost over Rs 6000 crore.
ANI cited sources as saying, “This would be an upgraded version of the missile system with seekers that would give the Indian Army greater precision when destroying offensive enemy aircraft or drones on the border.” The upgraded Akash missile system is endowed with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for enhanced precision, allowing it to be effective at high altitude frontiers.
The authorization of these two missile regiments can be viewed as a victory for the Make in India initiative, as they were originally slated for importation, but the Narendra Modi administration decided to induct only indigenous weapon systems.
According to an official statement, the Defense Ministry also inked a contract with Indian shipyards for the acquisition of 11 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels and six Next Generation Missile Vessels for a total of Rs 19,600 crore.
The contract for the acquisition of eleven offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category was inked with Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, at a total cost of Rs 9,781 crore. Seven of the eleven ships will be designed, developed, and manufactured by GSL and four by GRSE. The ships are scheduled to be delivered beginning in September 2026.
The acquisition of these ships, according to officials, will allow the Indian Navy to maintain its combat capability and meet various operational requirements, including anti-piracy, counter-infiltration, anti-poaching, anti-trafficking, non-combatant evacuation operations, search and rescue (SAR), and protection of offshore assets, among others.
The contract for the acquisition of six missile vessels of the next generation (NGMVs) was inked with Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) for Rs 9,805 crore. The delivery of ships is anticipated to begin in March 2027.
The NGMVs would be heavily armed warships with stealth, high speed, and offensive prowess. The ships’ primary purpose would be to provide offensive capabilities against hostile warships, merchant vessels, and land targets.
In addition, the Defence Ministry signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited for the purchase of thirteen Lynx-U2 Fire Control Systems for the Indian Navy at a total cost of over Rs 1,700 crores under Buy Indian – IDMM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured).
The Lynx-U2 System is an indigenously conceived and developed Naval Gun Fire Control System. It is able to accurately monitor and engage targets despite the presence of sea clutter as well as air and surface targets.
New Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels constructed indigenously by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers and Goa Shipyard Limited will be outfitted with systems of the fourth generation that are entirely indigenous.
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The ministry also signed a contract worth over Rs 9,100 crores for the purchase of an upgraded Akash Weapon System and 12 Weapon Locating Radars, WLR Swathi (Plains) for the Indian Army.
The contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for the procurement of an upgraded Akash Weapon System (AWS) for the 3rd and 4th Regiments of Army Air Defence, including live missiles and launchers with upgrades, ground support equipment, vehicles, and infrastructure, is valued at over Rs 8,160 crores, according to a Defense Ministry press release.
