111 New Helicopters To Be Bought For Navy For Rs.21,000 Crore
New Delhi, Aug 25 : The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) met on Saturday and approved procurement proposals worth about Rs 46,000 crore, including that of 111 utility helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of over Rs 21,000 crore under the Strategic Partnership (SP) Model.
The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
"The DAC, in a landmark decision today, approved procurement of 111 Utility Helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of over Rs 21,000 crore. This is the first project under the MoD's prestigious Strategic Partnership model that aims at providing significant fillip to the government's ‘Make in India' programme," an official release said.
The SP model envisages indigenous manufacturing of major defence platforms by an Indian Strategic Partner, who will collaborate with foreign original equipment manufacturer, acquire niche technologies and set up production facilities in the country.
The SP model has a long-term vision of promoting India as a manufacturing hub for defence equipment thus enhancing self-sufficiency and establishing an industrial and research and development (R&D) ecosystem, capable of meeting the future requirements of the armed forces, the release said.
"The contract when finalised would result in a vibrant and wide-spread defence industrial eco-system in the Indian aviation sector with the private industry and MSMEs as major stakeholders," it said.
Other proposals cleared by the DAC include procurement of 150 indigenously designed and developed 155 mm advanced towed artillery gun systems for the Indian Army at an approximate cost of Rs 3,364.78 crores.
These guns have been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO and will be manufactured by production agencies nominated by DRDO. They are likely to be the mainstay of artillery in the near future.
The DAC also approved procurement of anti-submarine capable 24 Multi Role Helicopters (MRH), which are an integral part of the frontline warships like aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates and corvettes.
"Availability of MRH with the Navy would plug the existing capability gap," the release said.
Procurement of 14 Vertically Launched Short Range Missile Systems was also cleared by the DAC. Of these, 10 systems will be indigenously developed.
These systems will boost the self-defence capability of ships against anti-ship missiles.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
'Will do whatever the party asks me to': Shivakumar on Odisha Cong MLAs camping in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said though he had not brought the Congress MLAs from Odisha to Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in that state, he will follow the party's directives.
His remarks come after a group of Odisha Congress legislators were moved to Bengaluru amid apprehensions of cross-voting in the March 16 biennial election.
According to party insiders, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president D K Shivakumar oversaw the logistical arrangements for their stay in the city.
The legislators are currently staying at the resort facility of an amusement park, located about 35 kms from Bengaluru.
Congress sources said the MLAs are expected to remain there until Monday morning before returning to Bhubaneswar to participate in the voting for the Rajya Sabha election.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said he did not bring them, though he will do whatever the party leadership asks him to.
“Look, whatever the party asks us to do, we must do. These things are happening in every state across the country; it’s nothing new. Since they (Odisha MLAs) have come, I will meet them. They asked me for time, but I told them not to come here (Vidhana Soudha) because the Assembly session is going on. I said I would come after finishing the Assembly work,” the Deputy CM said.
According to party sources, around eight MLAs from the party’s Odisha unit were flown from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru late on Thursday night and have been accommodated at a resort on the outskirts of the city.
Six more legislators from Odisha along with their Congress Odisha unit president will be reaching Bengaluru in the night.
The move, party insiders said, is aimed at ensuring unity among the legislators in the run-up to the election.
Sources added that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure after the BJP fielded a second candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat, triggering intense political manoeuvring in the state.
“There were concerns about possible cross-voting and attempts to influence MLAs. As a safeguard, the leadership decided to move them out of the state until the voting,” a Congress functionary said.
“Six more MLAs and their party president are expected to arrive in Bengaluru by Friday night.”
The Congress currently has 14 MLAs in the Odisha Assembly and requires additional support to ensure the success of its Rajya Sabha nominee.
Sources said the party leadership feared possible political bargaining and inducements involving legislators from different parties ahead of the poll.
