Ministry of Defence to procure new tanks and stealth warships

Making a major change to the fleet of tanks, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex decision-making body of the Ministry of Defence, has okayed a proposal for procurement of Future Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCVs), the name for the next generation of tanks.

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It also okayed making seven new stealth warships that would be an upgrade over the currently under-construction Nilgiri class of ships.

The tanks and warships were part of 10 capital acquisition proposals amounting to Rs 1,44,716 crore that were accorded the ‘acceptance of necessity (AoN)’ by the DAC on Tuesday.

The AoN is the step after which a project gets on ground and manufacturers will be asked to send in bids.

The FRCV is embedded with latest technologies that a futuristic battle tank would need like superior mobility, all-terrain ability, protections from enemy fire, precision and lethal firing abilities. Some 2,000 such tanks are needed by the Army that largely relies on the Russian-origin T-72 and the T-90 tanks. The Army also has a small number of indigenously made Arjun tanks. The fleet needs modern, state-of-the-art battle tanks.

Sources said the state-of-the-art FRCV will have niche technologies to include artificial intelligence and integrate drones and will have situational awareness. The Army in its demand to the MoD had explained that the future battle space will be intense and hybrid.

The Army wants the FRCV that is adapted to modern situations like countering aerial threats using its onboard systems and enhance own survivability. The FRCV will be able to conduct sustained, continuous operations by day and night utilising real-time awareness of the battlefield.

The DAC okayed the stealth warships that would be most technologically advanced warships ever built domestically. The deal, known as Project 17B, will involve the construction of state-of-the-art frigates. These would be Brahmos cruise missiles, anti-submarine weaponry and sophisticated electronic warfare systems.

Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), both government-owned shipyards, are the leading contenders for this massive project. Both yards are actively constructing frigates under Project 17A, with MDL handling four ships and GRSE working on three.

The DAC also accorded an AoN for procurement of air defence fire control radars, which will detect and track aerial target and provide firing solutions.

Three AoNs have been accorded to enhance the capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). These include procurement of Dornier-228 aircraft, next generation fast patrol vessels having high operational features in rough weather conditions and next generation offshore patrol vessels with advanced technology and enhanced long-range operations.

These will help the ICG to carry out surveillance, patrolling of maritime zone, search and rescue and disaster relief operations.