Defence projects worth Rs 4,444 cr cleared

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the Ministry of Defence today cleared the upgrade of electronic warfare equipment for the Army and allowed the issuance of fresh tender to buy four specialised survey ships for the Navy. It, however, withheld an important project of the Indian Air Force and did not take on the agenda another one.

In all, proposal worth Rs 4,444 crore were okayed by the council.

The DAC, headed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, could not arrive at a decision on a joint bid by Tata Sons Ltd and Airbus to replace the Indian Air Force’s vintage fleet of 56 Hawker Siddeley HS 748, a medium-sized turboprop airliner designed by British firm Avro in 1950s.

The Airbus-Tata are the only bidders and the IAF is looking for the DAC to use its authority and allow the purchase of small transport planes despite the fact that only one vendor has filed the formal bid.

The IAF is looking for twin-engine planes that can carry a payload of six to eight tonnes with cruise speed of 800 km per hour and 2,500 to 2,700 km range.

Sources said the DAC postponed the decision since it wanted a specialist briefing on the project. The proposal was postponed at the previous DAC meeting on November 23 as well.

The move to acquire additional 106 Swiss Pilatus basic trainer aircraft for the IAF at an estimated cost of Rs 8,200 crore, which was postponed on November 23, was not taken up today.

The DAC okayed a fresh tender for four specialised survey ships for the Navy with a new specification that will make the ships a bit bigger to accommodate a new set of helicopters. This will cost Rs 2,324 crore.

The DAC also gave its assent to the upgrade of the mobile integrated electronic warfare system, Samyukta, at a cost of Rs 1,682 crore besides a proposal for purchase of logistics for airdrop platform for heavy equipment for Rs 402 crore.

Another proposal of Rs 36 crore for acquiring propeller engine for offshore patrol vessel of the Coast Guard was also given a go-ahead.