Army to get ₹2,000 crore hardware through emergency route
NEW DELHI: The defence ministry has signed a raft of contracts worth almost ₹ 2,000 crore through the emergency procurement route to boost the Indian Army's readiness in counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir, with some of these deals concluded after the recent four-day military confrontation with Pakistan under Operation Sindoor, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday. An Indian army soldier stands guard at the Line of Control (LoC) between Pakistan and India on May 20 (AFP FILE)
The weapons and systems ordered include integrated drone detection and interdiction systems, low-level lightweight radars, very short-range air defence systems and remotely piloted aerial vehicles.
Thirteen contracts under the emergency procurement mechanism have been concluded, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. 'These contracts, amounting to ₹ 1,981.90 crore, have been finalised against an (earlier) overall sanctioned outlay of ₹ 2,000 crore for the Indian Army,' it said in a statement.
The hardware on order includes loitering munitions, different types of drones, bullet-proof jackets, ballistic helmets, quick reaction fighting vehicles (both heavy and medium) and night sights for rifles.
'Executed through fast-track procedures under the emergency procurement mandate, the procurement aims to enhance situational awareness, lethality, mobility, and protection for troops deployed in counter-terrorism environments,' the ministry added.
The 450 locally produced loitering munitions, or kamikaze drones, ordered from a Nagpur-based defence firm, Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd, to boost the army's precision targeting capabilities – as reported by HT on Tuesday -- are part of the emergency procurement.
These procurements reflect the ministry's commitment to equipping the Indian Army with modern, mission-critical, and completely indigenous systems to meet emerging security challenges, and the emergency procurement route continues to be a key enabler in bridging urgent capability gaps and ensuring timely induction of vital operational equipment, the statement added.
India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were shot dead. It triggered a four-day military confrontation with Pakistan involving fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range weapons and heavy artillery before the two sides reached an understanding on stopping all military action on May 10.
Days after the ceasefire, the government granted powers to the armed forces to make emergency purchases worth around ₹ 40,000 crore.
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