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The decision by the defence acquisition council (DAC), India’s top weapons procurement body, builds on the push for self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector.

The council accorded its acceptance of necessity (AoN) for 225 BrahMos missiles, Shakti electronic warfare systems and 60 utility helicopters for the navy, around 300 advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS) for the army, the long-range stand-off weapon for the Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi-30 fighters, and nine advanced light helicopters for the coast guard.

Under India’s defence procurement rules, the council’s AoN is the first step towards buying military hardware. The DAC’s clearance for the military hardware is under the most important category of acquisition for indigenisation under the defence procurement policy, or the Indian-IDDM category. IDDM stands for indigenously designed, developed and manufactured.

The government will spend the lion’s share of the money on boosting the navy’s capabilities. The BrahMos missiles, Shakti EW systems and utility helicopters for the navy are estimated to cost ₹56,000 crore, the defence ministry said.

“While the additional BrahMos missile systems will enhance the maritime strike capabilities and anti-surface warfare operations, the utility helicopters will multiply the operational readiness of the Indian Navy for search and rescue operations, casualty evacuation, and humanitarian assistance disaster relief. The EW systems will equip and modernise frontline warships to counter any action by the adversaries,” it said in a statement.

The 155mm/52-caliber ATAGS will be bought for the army along with high mobility and gun-towing vehicles, the ministry said. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) began the ATAGS project in 2013 to replace older guns with modern ones. It partnered with two private firms, Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, for manufacturing the gun. It has a range of 48 km.

A prototype of the gun was used for the ceremonial 21-gun salute for the first time at the Independence Day function at Red Fort last year, along with British guns traditionally used for the event. In his speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a special mention of the indigenous artillery gun as he called for furthering self-reliance in different sectors.

The DAC also cleared the development and production of medium speed marine diesel engines under the ‘Make-I category’ for the first time. “India is venturing into the development and manufacturing of such engines indigenously to achieve self-reliance and leverage the capabilities of the industry towards the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” the ministry said.

‘Make-I’ is category of capital acquisition in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), and the cornerstone of the Make in India initiative that seeks to build indigenous capabilities through the involvement of both public and private sector.

‘Make-I’ refers to government-funded projects while ‘Make-II’ covers industry-funded programmes. Another sub-category under ‘Make’ is ‘Make-III’ that covers military hardware that may not be designed and developed indigenously, but can be manufactured in the country for import substitution, and Indian firms may manufacture such hardware in collaboration with foreign partners.

The DAC has so far granted AoN for capital acquisition in 2022-23 for projects worth over ₹2.71 lakh crore ($32.77 bn), of which 99% procurement will be done from the domestic industry, it added.

The latest DAC clearance comes on the back of the defence ministry signing on March 7 two separate contracts with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Larsen & Toubro for 70 HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft and three cadet training ships, respectively, with the orders worth ₹9,900 crore set to boost self-reliance.

Apart from creating a separate budget for buying locally made military hardware, the government has taken a raft of steps to promote self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector including increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) from 49% to 74%, and notifying hundreds of weapons and systems that cannot be imported.

At Aero India 2023, the defence minister announced that India had earmarked 75% of this year’s defence capital procurement budget for buying weapons and systems from local manufacturers, with the move aimed at unlocking new opportunities for achieving self-reliance targets and ramping up the country’s defence exports.

The share of the domestic sector in the defence budget was never higher. India set aside 68% of the military’s capital acquisition budget for making indigenous purchases in 2022-23, 64% in 2021-22, and 58% in 2020-21.

Around ₹1 lakh crore has been set aside for domestic procurement this year, compared to ₹84,598 crore, ₹70,221 crore and ₹51,000 crore in the three previous years.

Singh had earlier indicated that India could bring more weapons and systems under an import ban, and manufacture them in the country to give a new push to self-reliance. So far, four ‘positive indigenisation lists’ have barred the import of 411 weapons and systems.

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The proposal, worth over Rs 8,000 crore, has been floated by the Indian Army and is expected to be cleared soon, top government officials told India Today.

The Indian Army has conducted trials of the gun in different altitudes and terrains and the weapon has been upgraded as per the suggestions made by the users, said officials.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has shared the technological know-how of the howitzer with Tata and Bharat Forge. The two private firms will be supplying the system to the Army, including over 320 high mobility-vehicles. The trials of the 155mm/52 calibre ATAGS howitzers were completed at the Pokhran Field Firing Range (PFFR) between April 26 and May 2 last year.

The ATAGS is an indigenous towed artillery gun system project undertaken in mission mode by the DRDO as a part of the artillery modernisation programme of the Indian Army, said the statement of the Indian Army.

The Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) Pune is the nodal laboratory of the DRDO for the design and development of ATAGS, along with other DRDO laboratories.

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“Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bharat Forge Ltd has been awarded an export order for a 155 mm Artillery Gun platform to be executed over a 3-year time frame. The total value of the order is $155.5 million,” the company disclosed in a regulatory filing.

“This order, to a non-conflict zone, is a great testament to the Government of India’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat agenda and its sustained push to promote exports of Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured advanced defence platforms from India.”

Even though the identity of the recipient was not disclosed, Saudi Arabia is speculated to be the recipient because the Middle-Eastern nation in 2020 had conducted trials of Bharat-52, a 155 mm, 52-calibre towed howitzer, which was the first artillery gun manufactured by the defence firm led by Baba Kalyani. It has a range of about 40 km and is capable of firing six rounds in 50 seconds.

The Kalyani Group has multiple versions of 155 mm artillery guns including the ATGS (advanced towed artillery gun system), which was developed in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army. The ATGS has not been inducted into the Indian Army as it is still under testing.

This is the second major defence export from India within the last two months, but the first big one from the private sector. Earlier in September, a government-to-government contract was closed between India and Armenia for the supply of Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers. The Pinaka order, believed to be a $250 million contract, is to be executed within the next two years.

India’s defence exports have grown over the years, from less than Rs 900 crore in 2014 to over Rs 13,000 crore now. The Defence Ministry has set a target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore of defence production by 2025, which includes exports of Rs 35,000 crore.

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As part of Army’s artillery modernisation project, additions are being made to have longer range of rockets, loitering ammunition, UAVs with greater endurance besides newer indigenous guns. Artillery consists of guns, rockets, missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. It launches munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms.

The Field Artillery Rationalization Plan, drawn up in 1999, talks about acquiring 2,800 guns by 2027.  Meeting these numbers could take up to a decade or more from now.

All Gun systems procured in the last five years or being procured, apart from Ultra-Light Howitzer, are indigenous Gun Systems being manufactured in India.

The plan talks about having all guns at same level — 155 mm. These includes 1,580 towed guns, 814 truck-mounted guns, 100 tracked self-propelled guns,180 wheeled self-propelled guns and 145 ultra-light howitzers.

Last year on emergency procurement basis, the Ministry of Defence okayed purchase of loitering ammunition for Army. These are set to be delivered now. Loitering ammunition can remain in the air for a specified period, do surveillance of targets and strike when directed from ground.

Among the multiple type of guns being inducted, include the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), the Sharang, ULH, Vajra and Dhanush.

The firing trials of ATAGS have gone off well. The field evaluation trials have been completed. Tata and Bharat Forge, the two manufacturers of the DRDO designed gun are ready to start production – some 170 are expected to be made in the first batch. The Director General Quality Assurance (DGQA) is testing its efficacy against dust, rains, mould etc. In another two months things should move ahead.

The Ultra Light Howtizers – in all 145 imported from US—are being inducted steadily. Seven regiments – 18 guns in each – of ULH have been inducted and deployed.

Sharang – the 130 MM gun that is being up-gunned to 155 MM – has three operational regiments, one more is on the way. In all 300 guns are to be up-gunned. The current speed of up-gunning is two regiments per year. We need to speed up to do three regiments per year.

The success of the K9 Vajra gun – that runs of tank-style tracks – in eastern Ladakh has led to the MoD okaying the purchase of 100 more such guns. Originally the gun was made for the desert sector; its adaption for Himalayan winter includes batteries that work in cold and lubricants that don’t freeze.

The first regiment of Dhanush has been deployed, the second one is expected by March 2023.

The future of long artillery includes long-range rockets. A 75 km range guided rockets that can fire from Pinaka launcher are to be inducted. The multi-barrel ‘Smerch’ can fire for 90 km range. The DRDO has been asked to work at rocket that can fire 125 km.

One of the four Pinaka regiments have been inducted along Northern borders. Six more Pinaka regiments have been contracted and delivery was expected soon and would be equipped with electronic and mechanical weapon system capable of firing variety of ammunition over longer ranges.

With long range rockets being inducted, aerial surveillance is need to find targets. The Army is looking for vertically launched drones with 80 km range. The system will direct fire in enemy areas including beyond visual range.

Make in India Initiative

The modernisation of the Artillery of the Indian Army has gathered momentum with several important projects in the pipeline. And guns made in India are now being operationalised in the high altitude areas along the northern borders and along Line of Control.

The focus of this whole process has been on indigenisation under the Make in India initiative, this means now all the gun systems being used by the Indian Army in the last five years have been designed and developed in the country except the Ultra-Light Howitzer.

Dhanush

In 2019, the Indian Army had signed a deal to procure 114 Dhanush 155 mm/45-calibre towed howitzers. By March 2023 the Army is expected to induct the second regiment of this gun.

These guns which have a strike range of 38 km have already been inducted in the Indian Army which has got 18 of them so far. These guns which were manufactured at the erstwhile Jabalpur-based Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), at a cost of Rs 14.50 crore, and each shell at Rs 1 lakh, are already active along the borders of China and Pakistan.

With this gun Indian Army’s fire power has been augmented and paved the way for development of private gun manufacturing industry in India. The factory already has Bulk Production Clearance (BPC) for the production of 114 Dhanush, country’s first indigenous 155mm x 45 calibre artillery gun.

Before induction the gun had undergone trials and tests under extreme conditions in different phases in terrains like Leh, Sikkim, Balasore, Odisha, and Babina in Jhansi.

So far the indigenous material in this gun is around 90 percent and the private as well as public sector has been part of this project and these include: SAIL, BEL and OFB. The Indian Army, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and DGQA are all part of this project.

This gun has been mechanically and electronically upgraded on the basis of the first phase of Transfer of Technology (ToT) deal under the Bofors contract of the 1980s.

K-9 Vajra

Amidst the ongoing border standoff between the troops of Indian and Chinese armies since May 2020 in eastern Ladakh, the K9-Vajra self-propelled howitzer which weighs around 50 tonnes has been deployed by the Indian Army. These guns which are capable of firing 47-kg of bomb at the higher altitude have been deployed to help the Army to strengthen its position against the enemy.

So far 100 K9 Vajra gun systems have been inducted and recently, DAC headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh has already given its approval for procurement of additional 100 K9 Vajra. And the process is set rolling and the Request for Proposal is going to be sent out soon.

Since these guns are already inducted in the army, there will be no further trials, now the vendor just has to submit the commercial bid and based on that the cost negotiations will take place.

These 155mm/52 calibre guns which have a striking capability of 50 km have been made at the Armoured Systems Complex of Larsen and Toubro (L&T) located in Gujarat. It is under the ‘Make in India’ initiative at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore.

In 2017, L&T had won the Rs 4,500-crore contract to supply 100 units of K9 Vajra under the ‘Make in India’ initiative for which it signed a transfer of technology contract with South Korean company Hanwha Corporation. According to L&T, K9 Vajra are delivered with more than 80 per cent indigenous work packages and above 50 per cent indigenisation (by value) at the programme level.

Sharang

This 130 mm gun system with a life and technology enhancement has a better accuracy, range, and consistency corroborating Indigenous Defence Capability.

The Army is getting prepared to get the 4th Regiment. The total volume required is 300 and this is expected to be completed in a year’s time. The source added that 15 Regiments are to be equipped with the Sharangs.

Pinaka Weapon System

The indigenous more advanced Pinaka weapon systems are in offing. A contract for six more regiments have been signed by the Army and soon the delivery will start. And these six regiments are going to be equipped with mechanically and electronically improved weapon systems which are capable of firing different ammunition over longer ranges.

The Army depends on Grad Multi Barrel Rocket launchers. Presently it has five regiments and Smerch which has been procured from Russia. But, the indigenous Pinaka has been a great success, not only in terms of launchers but also in bouquet of ammunition.

There will be trials for extended range of the Pinaka and the plan is to increase its range. With the help of the DRDO the Army is exploring the possibility of extending the range to 100-125 kms.

In response to Chinese positioning of its artillery, the Indian Army has deployed one regiment of the Pinaka Rocket System along the Line of Actual Control in the northern borders.

ATAGS

These are in the advanced stages of trials. And have been designed and developed through a partnership between DRDO and the domestic industry. This system has many firsts to its credit, said the source. It has a 25 litre chamber, long range, and sustained and rapid rates of fire. The user trials so far have been satisfactory and few procedural issues are in the midst of being taken care of.

Ultra-Light Howitzers M777

These have already been validated in the Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh regions. So far there are no plans to procure more of these Ultra-Light Howitzers. So far India bought 145 ULH at US $ 750 million from the US to address specific operational requirements in specific sectors especially in the high altitude areas of northern borders and other tough terrains. These 155 mm/39-caliber M777 howitzers have a range of up to 30km. And they are capable of carrying out  strikes at ranges of over 40 km in some areas.

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The Army is also trying to fast-track the remaining trials of the indigenous Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) 155mm/52 calibre howitzers, which were used for the ceremonial firing at the Red Fort on Independence Day.

The new order for 100 more 155mm/52 calibre Vajras will be a repeat for the South Korean guns that are manufactured indigenously by L&T at its facility in Gujarat.

In 2017, L&T won the Rs 4,500-crore contract to supply 100 units of K9 Vajra under the ‘Make in India’ initiative for which it signed a transfer of technology contract with South Korean company Hanwha Corporation.

According to L&T, K9 Vajra are delivered with more than 80 per cent indigenous work packages and above 50 per cent indigenisation (by value) at the programme level.

The company says it had started indigenisation, right from the inception of the programme, by replacing 14 critical systems in the Korean ‘K9 Thunder’ with indigenously developed and produced systems for the trial gun fielded for user evaluation trials.

L&T had delivered all the guns ahead of schedule with the last being handed over in February last year.

Plan is for 200 more Vajras

“We have got the clearance from the Ministry of Defence to order for 100 more Vajras. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued to L&T soon after which the cost negotiations will be carried out. We will fast-track the process and hope to have the deliveries started soon,” a source in the defence and security establishment said.

There could be another order for 100 more Vajras after the new one is executed and that the Army’s plan is to eventually have 300 of these guns that were initially bought for the deserts.

But with the tensions breaking out at LAC in May 2020, the Army decided to deploy three of these tracked howitzers in Eastern Ladakh as a trial measure. These guns were fitted with winterisation kits that would enable the howitzers to work in sub-zero temperature even though they were designed to operate in deserts.

The gun system proved its mettle following which the Army deployed a full regiment (20 guns make one regiment) of these howitzers in Eastern Ladakh to add to its fire power.

“We have already bought winterisation kits for the existing 100 Vajras. The new ones are being bought for the mountains and will come with winterisation kits,” another source explained.

The winterisation kits consist of nine items including specialised oil, lubricants, heating systems and small changes to the gun’s fire and control system, besides others.

Vajras were originally meant for deserts 

When the Army did the trials for Vajras before it placed the order in 2017, it was carried out in deserts and not in high-altitude areas where the howtizer’s systems work differently in rarefied atmosphere and extreme cold.

“When the Ladakh crisis started, we had to rethink our strategy. We put these guns in Ladakh for trials and they performed well surpassing our expectations. And hence, we have decided to go in for more,” a third source said.

Sources explained that the Army is looking for 200 more Vajras but could not have placed a repeat order higher than the original. They added the new order will be for 100 howitzers and a subsequent order could be placed at a later date once the second order is delivered.

Because these are powerful tracked howitzers, the Army can deploy them extensively in the mountains too giving it more firepower.

The Army has already bought 145 M777 lightweight howitzers from the US to be deployed exclusively in the mountains. These lightweight howitzers are easily transportable by the Chinook helicopters and can be moved from one valley to another with ease.

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The Army has significantly bolstered its fire power along the frontier with China by deploying a range of rockets and artillery weapons and plans to procure an array of additional systems, including 100 K9 Vajra howitzers and UAVs, to augment combat prowess.

The Artillery units of the Indian Army already deployed K-9 Vajra Tracked Self-Propelled Howitzers, ultra-light M-777 howitzers, Pinaka rocket systems and Dhanush gun systems.

The Army plans to equip its Artillery units along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) with a range of up to 90 kms in addition to UAVs of 15-20 kms range. At present, medium altitude UAVs in the Army’s inventory are being operated by the Army Aviation units.

The Army is set to procure a new batch of 100 more K9 Vajras howitzers, in addition to 100 such guns ordered in 2017. The Defence Acquisition Council has cleared the proposal for ordering 100 more K9 Vajras. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued soon.

The K9 Vajras were originally procured for deployment in deserts, but following the eastern Ladakh standoff, the Army deployed a significant number of the howitzers in that high-altitude region.

The Army is also procuring winterisation kits so the howitzers work in sub-zero temperature.

The Army is also in the process of procuring indigenously developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System, commonly known as ATAGS, and Mounted Gun Systems (MGS). This gun system has many firsts to its credit – 25-litre chamber, long range, as also rapid and sustained rates of fire. The user trials on the gun systems have been satisfactorily conducted and that there are few procedural issues that are being taken care of.

Induction of more advanced Pinaka weapon systems is in the offing. Six more regiments of the systems are being procured and their delivery would commence soon. The new Pinaka regiments will be equipped with electronically and mechanically improved weapon system capable of firing variety of ammunition over longer ranges. One regiment of Pinaka has been inducted along Northern borders in high altitude area after extensive validation. The defence ministry has already approved procurement of guided extended range rockets for Pinaka.

The Army is also in the process of procuring ‘Loitering Munition System’ thereby augmenting its surveillance, target acquisition and precision strike capability. The Army is also in the process of procuring indigenously designed and developed Loitering Weapon System with enhanced strike capability.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The Army is procuring a range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance and target acquisition purposes—including loitering munitions for combat roles—for its artillery units deployed along India’s borders with China and Pakistan. This includes an unspecified number of mini UAVs for which internal deliberations are at an advanced stage and also loitering munitions which the Army bought last year under emergency procurement.

There is a need to procure runway-independent UAVs to possess the sensor-to-shooter capability.

This effectively means there is a need for UAVs to observe, acquire target, direct artillery fire and carry out post-strike damage assessment matching the extended ranges of the gun and rocket systems being procured by the Army.

The UAVs will aid the Observation Post (OP) Officers and Forward Observation Officers (FOO) with information gathered through surveillance in advance. The idea is to procure enough quantity so that every OP officer is equipped with at least one mini UAV in the future, which would help him see beyond the hill features in the high-altitude border areas. The Army always has OP Officers deployed at its defensive positions and an FOO—who is an artillery representative—accompanies the assaulting troops to direct artillery fire when they are advancing to capture a location.

The mini UAVs will have a range varying from 15-20 km to 75-90 km with matching endurance and will be employed for engagement of targets in tactical and depth areas.

Earlier this year, medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs such as the Herons and Searchers with the Regiment of Artillery were transferred to the Army Aviation Corps.

Last year, the artillery regiment also ordered an unspecified number of loitering munitions under the fast-track procedure from a joint venture firm of an Indian and a foreign manufacturer.

The loitering munitions—which are unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)—can loiter in the air and close on the designated target and attack it by self-destructing onto it when directed. They are expected to arrive soon, the sources said.

Deliveries of the precision-strike loitering munitions, which are relatively smaller and cheaper explosive-armed kamikaze drones that wait to select high-value enemy targets and then crash into them, are set to begin under an emergency procurement contract inked with an Israeli-Indian private joint venture last year.

The launchers of the loitering munition can be protected passively and actively as well—including camouflage concealment, shoot and scoot mechanism, and air defence protection, among others.

The Army has received responses from the Indian industry and several firms have expressed their capability to manufacture the weapon system, said the sources, adding that in future India can develop self-reliance and graduate as a global leader in the loitering munition technology.

After the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, the deadly effect of loitering munitions or autonomous missiles has been reinforced by the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. Ukrainians have used Switchblade 300 and Phoenix Ghost loitering munitions supplied by the US as well as locally assembled weapons to stem Russian advances.

K9 Vajra Guns

The Army is now looking to induct another 100 K-9 Vajra guns, which have a strike range of 28-38 km, from the joint venture between L&T and South Korean Hanwha Defence. One K-9 regiment with ‘winterisation kits’ has already been deployed in eastern Ladakh from the 100 such 155mm/52-caliber guns inducted earlier for Rs 4,366 crore.

The K-9 guns were originally procured for deserts. But after the Chinese incursions in May 2020, they have been modified to ensure their batteries, oil, lubricants and other systems do not freeze in sub-zero temperatures. The next 100 K-9 guns will come with winterised kits.

The K9 Vajra, compliments and adds a punch while operating alongside tanks since it’s a tracked self propelled gun. For this reason, it was deployed in Ladakh along with armour.

Pinaka

Induction of indigenous Pinaka multi-launch artillery rocket systems, with a strike range of 38-km, have also added more muscle along the frontier. With DRDO developing a variety of ammunition for the Pinaka, including rockets with over 45-km extended range and 75-km guided extended range, six more Pinaka regiments for Rs 2,580 crore will be delivered to the Army to add to its existing four. The Army also has three Smerch and five Grad rocket regiments of Russian-origin.

Pinaka is an all-weather, artillery-multi-barrel rocket system. It can fire 72 rockets in 44 seconds. It delivers a devastatingly lethal and responsive fire against a variety of area targets such as exposed enemy troops, armoured and soft skin vehicles, communication centres, air terminal complexes, fuel and ammunition dumps.

M777 Howitzers

The M-777 howitzers can be swiftly airlifted to forward areas. The bulk of the 145 guns ordered for over Rs 5,000 crore from the US have also been inducted along the LAC. The seventh regiment of these howitzers, with a strike range of 30-km, is now also been operationalized.

The seventh regiment of M777 howitzers is in the process of the being raised. The 155mm, 39-calibre towed artillery guns can be airlifted by the Chinook helicopters at a short notice.. Helipads for the Chinook helicopters are being constructed at all forward posts in the northeast for the quick movement of troops and equipment.

ATAGS

Then there are the home-grown 155mm/52 caliber advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS), with a maximum strike range of 48-km, developed by DRDO with production partners Tata Advanced Systems and Bharat Forge.

After successful winter and summer firing trials, the ATAGS is now undergoing environment and maintainability tests slated for completion in another two months. Commercial negotiations will then follow for the initial order for 150 guns at an estimated cost of Rs 3,365 crore to be split between Tata and Bharat Forge.

ATAGS is a robust indigenous system. The orders for ATAGS will only go up because the Army has a long-term requirement for 1,580 such guns.

Radars

Additionally, the indigenous weapon locating radar Swathi has been inducted and deployed along the northern borders. A counter-battery radar designed to detect and track incoming artillery and rocket fire, Swathi can assess the point of origin for counter bombing. The radar is similar to ANTPQ-37 radar, which has been in use with the Army in design and performance but is said to be more user friendly.

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The industry has matured. It has moved from designing as per drawings to now having the ability to design according to the specifications. The encouragement to industry is showing. We have roped them in to make big equipment, on integration of missiles, bombs and many other systems.

The immediate targets, according to Dr Reddy, are increasing the range of air-to-air missiles beyond 150 km and that of surface-to-air missiles beyond 250 km.

Airborne radars and long-range 1,000-plus km radars are the next on plan, with the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar for fighter jets ending its final testing. For the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), DRDO “may go in for the special purpose vehicle model”.

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark2 is in the final design phase, while the AMCA design is in advanced stages. “We will definitely meet timelines on the AMCA and LCA Mark2,” he said.

On ground fighting equipment, Dr Reddy said, “We are looking for partners for Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) and Future Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCV).”

The scenario, he points out, is changing. “We are getting enquiries for export of Akash missiles, torpedoes and artillery gun, the ATAGS, to name a few.”

Air Independent Propulsion System (AIP), that allows conventional submarines to remain under water for longer periods, has been demonstrated. “We are working to integrate the system. The basic model has been made.”

India, he said, has become self-sufficient in many technological areas like missiles, radars, sonars, electronic warfare systems, Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS), artillery guns, armoured vehicles and fighter aircraft.

“Industry participation is growing. We have at least 2,000 industries, which are capable of making systems and sub-systems of equipment. Close to 10,000 are now suppliers of components,” according to Dr Reddy, who is also the secretary, Department of Defence R&D.

“Industry has matured. It has moved from the ability to design as per drawings to now have the ability to design as per specifications,” he says.

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