Rs 79,000 crore sanctioned for defence weapons: Astra missile to strengthen Air Force

NEW DELHI: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved defence deals worth Rs 79,000 crore to strengthen the Army, Navy and Air Force. The AON (Acceptance of Necessity) for the deals was accorded in a meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The deal includes Loiter Munition System (suicide drone- drone to destroy enemy targets) for the Army artillery regiments, Low Level Lightweight Radars (to detect low-flying small drones etc.), Long Range Rocket Components for Pinaka Missile System, and Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System (MK-II) to detect and destroy enemy drones.

Bollard pull tugs (hooks) for the berthing of ships and submarines, High Frequency Software Defined Radios (HFSDR) and Manpacks for communication will be purchased for the Navy. Approval has also been given for leasing High Altitude Long Range (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for surveillance in the Indian Ocean region.

Full Mission Simulator for Tejas Pilots

Approval has been given for the sale of Automatic Take-Off Landing Recording System to ensure accurate operation of fighter jets in all weather conditions, Astra Mk-II missiles to destroy enemy aircraft, Full Mission Simulator for training Tejas pilots, and Israeli-made Spice-1000 bomb kits to increase the offensive power of the Indian Air Force.