Defence Ministry approves major air defence & naval upgrades after Operation Sindoor

Almost two months after air defence missiles played a major role in Operation Sindoor — successfully thwarting airborne threats from Pakistan — the Ministry of Defence approved the procurement of additional missiles. It also approved 12 specialised Navy warships capable of laying and detecting undersea explosive mines.

In military parlance, these are called surface to air missiles (SAM’s) and are fired from the ground at airborne targets like drones, planes and jets. The SAM’s are mated with air defence radars that direct the missiles towards incoming targets. During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan sent in hundreds of drones and missiles, which were shot down by the layered air defence systems that included the SAM’s.

The SAM’s are part of acquisition proposals amounting to nearly Rs 1.05 lakh crore through indigenous sourcing. The Defence Acquisition Council, the apex decision making body on procurements in the MoD, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of 10 separate equipment for the forces — the SAM’s are a part of it.

The DAC’s decision to grant an AoN is the first step in the process and the tenders seeking supplies shall follow. The MoD did not specify the numbers of SAM’s, however, sources said these would replenish the stock of missiles fired by the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the four-day (May 7-10) skirmish with Pakistan.

Among other SAM’s, the IAF fired the indigenous Akash missiles and the medium range SAM (MRSAM) — made in India by Bharat Dynamics Limited in collaboration with Israel.

The DAC also approved the procurement of electronic warfare system that is a specialised military technology used to control the electromagnetic spectrum during combat, including jamming, deceiving, or spying using radio waves and radar signals.

The DAC also okayed a software called the ‘integrated common inventory management system’ that would be used at joint logistics nodes created for the services.

The MoD said, “These procurements will provide higher mobility, effective air defence, better supply chain management and augment the operational preparedness of the Armed Forces.”

The focus on the Navy included AoN for making 12 Mine Counter Measure Vessels. These ships have been demanded by the Indian Navy for long. Modern-day warfare means small autonomous vessels can attempt to lay mines. One of the Indian shipyards will be selected for making these ships.

The DAC also green-lighted the procurement of mines used at sea by the Indian Navy, new guns to be installed on warships and submersible autonomous vessels.

The MoD said “these procurements will enable mitigation of potential risks posed to the Naval and merchant vessels.”