Purchase of fighter jets at a cost of Rs 39,000 crore

(PTI) New Delhi, Ta. Thursday, July 2, 2020

Amid the conflict with China, the Defense Ministry has decided to purchase weapons, including 33 fighter jets. A total budget of Rs 38,900 crore has been allocated for this.

India will buy 21 MiG-29s from Russia, while India will buy 12 Sukhoi-30MKIs from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Sukhoi is originally a Russian-made aircraft, but can now only be manufactured at HAL, a Government of India company, as India purchased it under a technology transfer agreement.

The Defense Ministry has also approved a separate proposal to upgrade 59 MiG-29s from India's existing fighter jets. In addition, 248 projectile missiles capable of destroying supersonic fighter aircraft, Pinnacle missiles with a range of one thousand kilometers, ammunition for Pinnacle missiles, upgrading of radio system for tanks, etc. will be procured. Out of Rs 38,900 crore, Rs 7,418 crore will be spent on MiG-29 and Rs 10,730 crore on Sukhoi.

These purchasing decisions were made by the Defense Acquisition Council, the supreme authority for defense shopping. The Defense Ministry said the government has decided to modernize the armament in view of the current circumstances. There are some materials in which materials made in India will be widely used. So as to encourage indigenous industries.

About 80 per cent of the material will be procured from Indian companies

Procurement for defense India has adopted on the basis of technology transfer. That is to say, fighter planes or missiles or other weapons are bought from abroad, but only some of its early parts come from abroad. Each country then transfers its manufacturing technology to India on the basis of which production and assembly can take place in India. This is of great benefit to the indigenous producers. So out of the Rs 39,000 crore purchases, Rs 31,130 crore (approximately 80 per cent) will be purchases involving Indian companies.

More high-speed boats will be sent to patrol Pangong

An armed speed boat is required to patrol Pangog Lake, which is spread over hundreds of square kilometers. The Indian Army has already set up some patrol boats there. The Army has decided to deploy some more fast and modern boats in Pangong. However, delivering this boat at an altitude of 14,000 feet is a big challenge. This is because the gigantic boat has to be dismantled and its parts have to be unloaded and reassembled by a transport aircraft like the Air Force's Globemaster C-17.