- India does not disclose acquisition timeline.
- New Delhi approves purchase of shipborne drones.
- New Delhi’s current defense budget is $85 billion.
India on Friday approved the purchase of a range of military equipment for its defense forces worth $5.46 billion, including missiles, electronic warfare systems and Kamikaze drones.
The purchase was approved “in principle” by the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), made up of top military officers and headed by the defense minister, according to a government statement.
The statement said the estimated cost of the deal would be around INR520 billion ($5.46 billion).
It did not specify the period in which the acquisitions would be made or whether the systems approved for purchase would be imported or domestically produced.
New Delhi has over the past decade sought to reduce its dependence on Russia, its traditional main supplier of military equipment, by turning to other countries such as the United States and France, as well as increasing domestic production.
The deal included the purchase of anti-drone and electronic warfare systems, medium-range surface-to-air and portable anti-tank missiles and a “Jet Based Kamikaze Drone System” for the Indian Army, the government said.
The DAC also approved procurement of new naval mines, ship-borne drones and a testing facility to strengthen maritime defenses and increase surveillance capabilities. India also planned to buy a high-altitude unmanned aircraft platform for the Air Force to be used for intelligence gathering and remote sensing.
New Delhi’s current defense budget is $85 billion.
Meanwhile, India is also pushing to rapidly modernize its navy.
In December, New Delhi began ordering at least 75 ships and submarines, most of them domestically built.
Top officials earlier this year approved the purchase of $39 billion worth of defense equipment, including Rafale jets from France.
