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Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Army deploys drones to make rapid advances
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Army has started placing orders with Indian companies for a range of drones, loitering munitions and counter-drone systems as part of emergency procurements , cleared by the Rajnath Singh-led defence ministry, to boost operational some contracts have been inked to boost counterinsurgency capabilities, a much larger number is expected to be inked in the coming weeks as the ministry has given sweeping powers to the armed forces to quickly identify and purchase cutting-edge systems developed by the industry, besides replenishing ammunition and long-range, standoff of the systems purchased is Nagastra 1R advanced loitering system that can take down infiltrators and target enemy positions at shallow depths on the Line of Control. The Army has placed an order for 450 of the munitions with Solar Industries , valued at ₹158 crore. The cost-effective systems are already in use by the Army and the fresh batch has to be delivered within 12 order has been placed with ideaForge Secures for hybrid Mini UAVs, which have already been battle-tested and inducted into the Army's inventory for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) operations. This is a fixed-wing VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) company said it went through a "rare and rigorous validation process" before the selection that included two independent high-power technical committees that verified the integrity and origin of Mini UAV's critical evaluation was carried out as the forces do not want any critical parts of the system to be of Chinese reported, the armed forces are focusing on long-range weapons , jammers, air defence systems and indigenous solutions for the 'new normal' approach against forces have drawn up a roadmap to award contracts worth thousands of crores, a large chunk of which is set to go to the private sector. Weapons worth ₹44,000 crore are likely to be ordered in the coming days, including ammunition for prolonged conflict. A special focus is on 'long range vectors', weapons that can be used from a standoff distance to strike deep into enemy forces are also looking to acquire jammers and low-level transportable radars in higher numbers in the coming months as they proved effective in thwarting large-scale drones attacks during Op armed forces are also likely to go in for a range of air defence capabilities to further strengthen the network that kept the Pakistani missile and drone barrage in check.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Defence ministry to overhaul procurement rules, aims for faster deals and stronger private sector role
New Delhi: The defence ministry has initiated a review of its procurement procedure, with the focus being on cutting down timelines, increasing ease of doing business for the private sector and encouraging growth of the defence manufacturing ecosystem. The Rajnath Singh-led ministry has notified a special committee headed by the director general (acquisition) to carry out extensive deliberations with all stakeholders and suggest changes to the existing Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP). The committee includes senior officers from MoD, representatives from the defence industry and academia. Former DG (acquisition) Apurva Chandra has been appointed as the principal advisor to the committee and suggestions have been sought from all stakeholders by July 5, officials said. The main aim is to ensure that acquisitions are carried out in a timely manner to meet the operational requirements of the armed forces. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo A major problem area for the forces has been the long procurement procedure that takes 2-3 years for any acquisition to be processed. This is on account of the checks and balances in the system, the requirement for extensive testing and a long winding process of commercial negotiations. The armed forces have been appreciative of the emergency procurement (EP) procedure that has been approved for them by the defence ministry in five tranches since 2021. Under this process, equipment has been ordered within a matter of weeks and delivered in a year, a huge leap from the past where it took multifold time and effort. Live Events The new procedure is likely to have a fast-track procurement process that can shrink timelines to under six months for selection and placing orders. This will come as a big relief to the industry that relies on quick orders and deliveries for business. The terms of the committee include promoting technology infusion through indigenously designed and developed systems and enabling Make in India through facilitation of joint ventures and transfer of technology for the private sector, encouraging foreign equipment manufacturers to invest in India through the FDI route and establishing India as a global defence manufacturing and MRO hub.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Army to get new air defence boost with Rs 30,000 crore QR-SAM deal
NEW DELHI: The defence ministry will soon take up the case for a preliminary nod to a Rs 30,000 crore proposal to procure three regiments of the new indigenous quick reaction surface to air missile (QR-SAM) systems for the Army. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Rajnath Singh-led defence acquisitions council will consider granting acceptance of necessity (AoN) for the highly-mobile QR-SAM systems, which are designed to intercept hostile fighters, helicopters and drones at a range up to 25-30 km, later this month. The move comes soon after India's existing multi-layered air defence network played a crucial role in thwarting multiple waves of Turkish-origin drones and Chinese missiles launched by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor - the May 7-10 hostilities. The and the Army have over the last three-four years tested the QR-SAM systems against high-speed aerial targets mimicking various types of threats to evaluate their capability under different day and night operational scenarios. Defence PSUs Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics will co-produce the QR-SAM systems. "The QR-SAM systems can operate on the move with search and track capability and fire at short halts. They are tailor-made to move along with tanks and infantry combat vehicles to provide them air defence in the tactical battlefield," an official said. The Army Air Defence (AAD), which performed exceedingly well during Operation Sindoor, in fact, requires 11 regiments of the QR-SAM, even as it progressively also inducts regiments of the indigenous Akash system, which has an interception range of about 25-km at present. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The induction of the QR-SAM systems will add to the existing air defence network of the IAF and the Army, which ranges from the long-range Russian S-400 'Triumf' surface-to-air missile systems (380 km interception range) and Barak-8 medium range SAM systems (70 km), jointly developed with Israel, to the Russian shoulder-fired Igla-S missiles (6 km), the upgraded L-70 anti-aircraft guns (3.5 km) and the indigenous integrated drone detection and interdiction systems (1km-2 km). While the DRDO is also readying the very short-range air defence missile systems (VSHORADS), which have a 6 km interception range, the real game-changer will be an air defence system with a 350 km range being developed under the ambitious Project Kusha. India plans to operationally deploy this long-range system by 2028-2029, with the defence ministry in Sept 2023 approving the AoN for procurement of five of its squadrons for the IAF at a cost of Rs 21,700 crore, as was first reported by TOI. Also read:
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
With Rs 44,000 crore, India to revive minesweepers plan amid China threat
NEW DELHI: India has revived its long-pending case for the indigenous construction of 12 specialised warships to detect, track and destroy underwater mines laid by enemy forces to choke harbours and ports, disrupt shipping and maritime trade. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Defence ministry sources said the procurement case for the 12 advanced minesweepers or mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs) for the Navy, at an estimated cost of around Rs 44,000 crore, will soon be placed before the Rajnath Singh-led defence acquisitions council for the grant of "acceptance of necessity (AoN)". The "open tender" or RFP (request for proposal) will then be issued for Indian shipyards to submit their techno-commercial bids. "It will take at least seven to eight years, if not more, for the first MCMV to roll out after the contract is inked," a source said. MCMVs are crucial in the backdrop of Chinese nuclear and conventional submarines, which can quietly lay mines, regularly coming to the Indian Ocean Region. Pakistan, too, is rapidly adding to its underwater combat fleet, with eight new Yuan-class diesel-electric submarines to be delivered by China. Indian Navy, alarmingly, does not have a single MCMV at present, with its earlier six Karwar-class and two Pondicherry class of minesweepers having progressively retired several years ago. The force is making do with "clip-on mine countermeasure suites" mounted on some ships to plug the critical capability gap when it needs 24 MCMVs to guard the country's 7,516-km long coastline with 13 major ports and over 200 minor ones. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Both state and non-state actors can choke harbours and ports by planting underwater mines, which are cheap and relatively easy to use, to blow up warships, merchant vessels and tankers. The acquisition case for 12 MCMVs had begun way back in July 2005, which eventually led to Goa Shipyard tying up with South Korea firm Kangnam to build the specialised vessels. The negotiations, however, remained deadlocked on the costs, technology transfer and build strategy. The Rs 32,000-crore project was finally scrapped by the ministry of defence in 2017-2018. With a displacement of around 900-1,000 tonne, MCMVs have non-magnetic hulls and high-definition sonars, acoustic and magnetic sweeps to detect marooned and drifting mines. The vessels then use remote-controlled systems like small underwater vehicles to detonate the mines at safe distances. The force currently has 60 warships and vessels under construction in Indian shipyards while it will also commission its second 3,900-tonne multi-role frigate built in Russia as INS Tamal at Kaliningrad next month.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
With Operation Sindoor still on, military gets emergency purchase powers
NEW DELHI: With India making it clear that the cessation of hostilities under Operation Sindoor is only a 'strategic pause' if Pakistan does not mend its ways in fuelling cross-border terrorism , govt has granted emergency procurement (EP) powers to the armed forces with an overall outer limit of around Rs 40,000 crore. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The EP-6 approval for Army, IAF and Navy to further boost as well as replenish their arms stockpiles was granted by the Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisitions Council just a few days ago, officials told TOI on Saturday. The first four EPs were granted during the military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh, while the fifth was for counter-terror operations. Under EP-6, the armed forces can fast-track multiple contracts, each worth Rs 300 crore, under both capital and revenue heads instead of following the normal long-winded procurement procedure. 'The contracts have to be finalised within 40 days, with deliveries to be completed in one year. The powers will be exercised by the three Service vice chiefs,' an official said. This will allow the armed forces to quickly build their arsenals of missiles and other long-range weapons, loiter and precision-guided munitions, kamikaze drones and counter-drone systems, among other weapons and ammunition. There is a 15% cap each on the total capital and revenue procurements of the overall defence outlay earmarked for the ongoing fiscal. 'All EP-6 purchases have to take place with the concurrence of the financial advisors, while special permission is needed for imports,' the official said. 'While the actual expenditure is likely to be less than the overall 15% outer limit, it gives the Services the requisite flexibility to meet urgent operational gaps and replenish their ammunition stocks depleted in the four days of intense hostilities from May 7 to 10,' he added. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now IAF jets, for instance, used BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, which are jointly produced in India with Russia, the Israeli-origin air-to-ground Crystal Maze-2 and Rampage missiles and Spice- 2000 precision-guided bombs, and French-origin Scalp cruise missiles and Hammer air-to-ground precision-guided munitions, for their precision strikes, as earlier reported by TOI. IAF also used Israeli Harop and Harpy kamikaze drones. Similarly, Army units launched loitering munitions like SkyStriker as well as fired 'smart' extended range artillery shells like Excalibur to hammer specific targets. The armed forces also used a wide array of weapons as part of the multi-layered air defence network. They included the Barak-8 medium range surface-to-air missiles, jointly developed with Israel, and the indigenous Akash missiles.
