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The DAC also granted the AoN for procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under Buy (Indian) category which will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). The procurement of additional submarines, with higher indigenous content, will not only help in maintaining required force level and operational readiness of the Indian Navy, but also create significant employment opportunities in the domestic sector. It will also help the MDL in further enhancing its capability and expertise in submarine construction.

In addition, the DAC approved the proposal to lay down guidelines for achieving the desired indigenous content in all categories of capital acquisition cases. It will help in achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in critical manufacturing technologies and life-cycle sustenance of defence platforms/equipment through indigenous manufacturing.

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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 tests come two months after the defence acquisition council (DAC) set the ball rolling to buy the VSHORADS, designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), for the army. DRDO, which conducted the twin tests successfully on 14 March, has tested the weapon earlier too.

“The flight tests were carried out from a ground-based man portable launcher against high speed unmanned aerial targets, mimicking approaching and receding aircraft. The targets were successfully intercepted, meeting all mission objectives,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh said the missile, equipped with new technologies, would give further technological boost to the armed forces.

In January, DAC had cleared the purchase of military hardware worth ₹4,276 crore including the air defence weapon and indigenous helicopter-launched anti-tank guided missiles. DAC is India’s apex munitions procurement body.

Under India’s defence procurement rules, the acceptance of necessity (AoN) by the council is the first step towards buying military hardware.

The DAC’s clearance to the VSHORADS and other military hardware on January 10 was 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.

This category has been accorded top priority for procurement of equipment. It refers to the purchase of military hardware from an Indian vendor, with the equipment having a minimum of 50% indigenous content (IC) on cost basis of the total contract value.

“In view of recent developments along the northern borders (with China), there is a need to focus on effective AD (air defence) weapon systems which are man portable and can be deployed quickly. Procurement of VSHORADS, as a robust and quickly deployable system, will strengthen air defence capabilities,” the ministry then said.

India has been locked in a border standoff with China for nearly three years. The army is swiftly upgrading its capability along the border with China with a variety of weapons and systems, including artillery guns, swarm drone systems that can carry out offensive missions in enemy territory, longer range rockets, remotely piloted aerial systems and high mobility protected vehicles, while also pursuing the development of light tanks for mountain warfare and futuristic infantry combat vehicles (FICVs).

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The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the defence ministry accorded the approval for Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for 24 Capital Acquisition Proposals.

Ministry of Defence said in a series of tweets, “These proposals include six for Indian Army, six for IAF, 10 for Indian Navy and two proposals for Indian Coast Guard for a total value of Rs 84,328 crores. It is pertinent to mention that 21 proposals, worth Rs 82,127 crores (97.4%), are approved for procurement from indigenous sources.”

The defence ministry said this unprecedented initiative of the DAC will not only modernize the Indian Armed Forces but also provide a substantial boost to the Indian Defence Industry towards the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

“AoNs accorded will equip the Indian Army with platforms and equipment such as Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles, Light Tanks and Mounted Gun System providing a quantum jump to Indian Army’s operational preparedness. Proposals approved also include procurement of Ballistic Helmets, with enhanced protection level, for our soldiers,” said the ministry.

The ministry said that the approvals accorded for the procurement of Naval Anti-Ship Missiles, Multi-Purpose Vessels and High Endurance Autonomous Vehicles will further enhance maritime strength giving a boost to the Indian Navy’s capabilities.

“The Indian Air Force will be further strengthened with enhanced lethal capabilities by induction of a new range of missile system, Long Range Guided Bombs, Range Augmentation Kit for conventional bombs and advanced surveillance systems. The procurement of Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard will enhance surveillance capability in the coastal areas to new heights,” said the ministry.

The induction and procurement of these weapons will give India an edge against China and Pakistan in the rough terrain.

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The close-quarter carbines will be for frontline soldiers, including the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China where the two countries have been locked in a tense standoff since May 2020, the officials said.

The force is looking to acquire 5.56mm carbines with an effective range of at least 200 metres, the army said in their request for information (RFI). The document, published on 22 September, also spells out other desired parameters of the weapon, including accuracy and reliability.

The development comes months after the defence ministry cleared indigenous defence purchases worth ₹28,732 crore, including carbines, armed drone swarms and bullet-proof jackets. The army has also issued an RFI for 47,627 bulletproof jackets.

The defence acquisition council (DAC) had in July accorded its acceptance of necessity for the military hardware to provide a boost to self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector.

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In a statement 0n 6 June, the Ministry of Defence said the DAC, at a meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, “accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Capital Acquisition Proposals of the Armed Forces amounting to Rs 76,390 crore under ‘Buy (Indian)’, ‘Buy & Make (Indian)’ and ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ categories”. This, it said, follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “clarion call for ‘Aatmanirbharta’.”

The planned next generation corvettes will be the first time that the warships will be designed entirely by the Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design and executed by an Indian shipyard through a competitive bid — this means that the private industry will also be allowed to bid, unlike earlier when a shipyard was nominated. The new warships will eventually replace the Khukri and Kora class corvettes.

“For the Indian Navy, the DAC accorded AoN for procurement of Next Generation Corvettes (NGC) at an estimated cost of approx. Rs 36,000 crore. These NGCs will be versatile platforms for a variety of roles viz. surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, Surface Action Group (SAG) operations, Search & Attack and Coastal Defence. These NGCs would be constructed based on the new in-house design of the Indian Navy using the latest technology of ship building and would contribute to further the Government’s initiative of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region),” the Ministry said.

“For the Indian Army, the DAC accorded fresh AoNs for procurement of Rough Terrain Fork Lift Trucks (RTFLTs), Bridge Laying Tanks (BLTs), Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (Wh AFVs) with Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) and Weapon Locating Radars (WLRs) through domestic sources with emphasis on indigenous design and development,” it said.

“The DAC accorded AoNs for manufacture of Dornier aircraft and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by the Navratna CPSE M/s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with focus on enhancing indigenisation, particularly in indigenising aero-engine material,” the Ministry said.

“In pursuance of the Government’s vision for digital transformation in Defence, ‘Digital Coast Guard’ project under ‘Buy (Indian)’ Category has been approved by the DAC. Under this project, a pan India secure network for digitising of various surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance and HR processes in Coast Guard will be established,” it said.

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The fifth submarine of Project 75, Yard 11879, Indian Navy’s Kalvari class commenced her sea trials on 1 February 22. The submarine was launched in Nov 2020 from the KanhojiAngre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). The submarine would be named Vagir, after commissioning.

The submarine will now undergo intense trials of all its systems at sea, including propulsion systems, weapons and sensors. The submarine is scheduled for delivery to the Indian Navy in the year 2022 after completion of these trials

The Indian Navy has two ongoing conventional submarine programs, with a third one on the way.

In Phase I, six submarines of Scorpene-class (P-75) are to be constructed at Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai. Two submarines of the project namely INS Kalvari and Khanderi have been commissioned in December 2017 and September 2019 respectively. The remainder submarines are likely to be inducted every nine months. The last submarine is likely to be delivered in June 2022.

Six submarines are to be constructed under P-75(I) under the Strategic Partnership (SP) model promulgated by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on 31 May 2017. Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the case was accorded by DAC on 27 February 2019. A multidisciplinary Empowered Project Committee (EPC) was constituted by MoD on 15 February 2019 to steer the project from ‘EoI issuance’ to ‘Contract Conclusion’. The Request for Expression of Interest (REoI) for shortlisting of SPs and Foreign, Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) was issued on 20 June 2019 and 2 July 2019 respectively. The response of SPs have been received on 11 September 2019. The response of Foreign OEMs have been received on 24 September 2019. The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the case would be issued in mid-2020. The induction of the submarines would be between 2027-2032.

In Phase II, twelve submarines of an indigenous design are envisaged to be constructed in India in this phase with the experience gained and technology absorbed from the construction of submarines under Phase I.

About Scorpène Submarines

Scorpène is a conventional submarine designed by the Naval Group for the export market. It demonstrates both the Naval Group’s ability to deliver best-in-class submarines and to conduct successful transfers of technology. Today 14 Scorpène submarines are in operational service or being built, for the Chilean Navy (2 units), the Malaysian Navy (2 units), the Indian Navy (6 units), and the Brazilian Navy (4 units).

The Scorpène design is adapted to fit each navy’s specific requirements. Thus, the Brazilian Scorpène is slightly longer to carry a larger crew, almost double the patrol range, and be able to cover greater distances.

Scorpène is ideally suited for action and operational effectiveness. Robust and enduring, it’s an ocean-going submarine also designed for shallow waters operations. Multipurpose, it fulfills the entire scope of missions such as anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, special operations, offensive minelaying and intelligence gathering. Integrating improvements from the French Barracuda-Class fast-attack submarine, Scorpène has cutting-edge capabilities.

P75 Kalvari-class key data

Length: 67,56 m +10 m with the future AIP Plug

Autonomy:  Up to 52 days

Displacement:  

Surface: 1615 tons

Submerged: 1775 tons

Crew: Up to 44 men

Weapons:

-6 x 533mm tubes

-Up to 18 heavyweight weapons.

-SM-39 Exocet antiship missile (MBDA)

-SUT 266 Legacy heavyweight torpedo (Atlas Elektronik)

-Mines

Hunt For Submarine Rescue Simulators

The MoD has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for submarine rescue simulators in January 2022. It is acquiring two sets of simulators that would train Navy personnel to operate submarine rescue vessel (SRV) and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) systems.

A simulator is a program or equipment that creates a virtual replica of a real-life environment, such as a flight simulator, for the purpose of training or experimentation. The SRV one should be able to simulate the actual vehicle’s rolling and pitching motions, as well as have the same “look, feel, functions, man-machine interface, and response time” as the Indian Navy’s Deep-Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV).

A DSRV is a type of deep-submergence vehicle used for submarine rescue operations and covert missions. India is one of the select countries that possess this capability. It has two DSRVs that it procured from James Fishers & Sons, a UK-based company.

The Indian Navy inducted its first DSRV in 2018 and the second one in 2019. Further, in 2020, a DSRV Complex was inaugurated at Vishakhapatnam to ensure the operational readiness of the vehicles with all equipment intact and ready to use.

With a growing fleet of submarines in the Indian Navy and its plans for expanding its fleet to deal with the challenges in the near seas, India’s Ministry of Defense has earnestly pursued the DSRV project.

In the Goa Maritime Conclave attended by Indian Navy commanders and delegations from Indian Ocean countries last year, the service displayed its submarine rescue capability. Only a few countries in the IOR possess this capability.

The Indian Navy is equipped with two full third-generation fly-away submarine rescue systems. It received Deep Search and Rescue Vehicles (DSRV), Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) equipment, Transfer under Pressure (TUP) systems, and all logistics and support equipment by the manufacturer. A 25-year all-inclusive maintenance support service was also included in the contract, according to JFD.

The equipment can reach a maximum depth of 650 meters and rescue 14 people in a single operation. Because submarine mishaps can happen anywhere, the DSRVs are built to be agile and easily transportable to remote locations

The entire system has been separated into 24 components, each with the footprint of a typical container and capable of being moved by road, sea, or air.

Heavy transport planes such as the IL-76 and C-17 could transport the DSRV, which is linked to the mother ship INS Sabarmati.

The Navy also looks forward to participating in international submarine rescue exercises to sharpen their skills and deepen ties with neighbors and partners.

In April 2021, India had dispatched two DSRVs to locate the missing Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala, but they were pulled back mid-way after the Indonesian Navy reported that it had identified the missing sub’s debris.

During trials in 2018, the DSRV submerged to a depth of 666 meters, breaking the record for the deepest submergence by a manned vessel in the Indian seas.

The DSRV crew has also performed Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) operations at greater than 750 meters and Side Scan Sonar operations at greater than 650 meters.

While the simulators have massive benefits, they do not aim to replace the training conducted on actual platforms. They merely familiarize the personnel with the platform that they will be required to operate. It is a time and cost-effective training instrument that is employed by militaries around the world.

In September 2021, the Defense Ministry issued a policy for increased use of simulators by armed forces to provide safe and cost-effective realistic training while preserving expensive equipment.

The policy aims to reduce live equipment utilization, ensure capability plans account for phased induction of simulators, factor in simulator requirements when planning procurements, and establish a coordination mechanism among various agencies for a combined purchase of simulators, according to a statement from the ministry.

As the focus of warfare and power assertion shifts to the sea, the Indian Navy seems to be strengthening its contingency efforts as well as enhancing its prospects of becoming the net security provider in the IOR in a true sense.

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During the short meeting, held ‘virtually,’ as the defence minister was down with Covid, the issue of procurement under Buy (Global) category came up for discussion during the DAC meeting. It was decided to firmly push indigenisation or as the government said, Atmanirbharata. The Army’s plan to buy Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missiles (QR SAM) has been turned from a Buy Global to a Buy Indian order. This means that only Indian firms will be able to supply the three regiments of QR SAMs to the Army’s air-defence system.

A similar decision has been taken for the Articulated All Terrain Vehicles which can be used in high-altitude areas. All 18 of them will be purchased from Indian vendors. This was initially a Buy Global case. The decision about light machine guns for the Army followed a similar pattern. This will also be Buy and Make Indian.

Under the Buy (Global) category, procurement is done directly from the foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The decision taken will not impact deals already inked under the Buy (Global) route, those being pursued under the government-to-government route and the Foreign Military sales (FMS) route with the US.

Foreign OEMs are now welcome to tie up with Indian firms or set up their own factories to not only supply the Indian military but also for other countries.

The defence services were earlier asked to prepare a list of procurement plans from abroad that could be replaced by indigenous items. Accordingly, each service — Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard — had come forward with a list of such items.

The items in Question

One mega deal in this list was the procurement of 14 twin-engine helicopters, for which French firm Airbus was the prime contender. A decision has been taken to shelve this project in favour of the naval utility helicopter (NUH) of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). However, it was not immediately clear what happened to the $3 billion project of the Navy to procure 111 new helicopters of the same class (that is, NUHs).

The Army will now go in for indigenous ATVs that will come handy in both the desert and mountains.

A project to acquire short range missiles from abroad has also been shelved in favour of the Make in India route.

Push for Make in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have been emphasising on indigenous defence products. These issues came up for discussion multiple times and the forces were also amenable to this, since alternate items were already available domestically and foreign companies were willing to set up facilities in the country.

Singh, in his talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu, made it clear that the way forward was Make in India. Similarly, during his meeting with French Defence Minister Florence Parly, Singh had called on French firms to “either collaborate with Indian companies or simply produce in India”.

This initiative from the government comes at a time when the Centre is coming up with the new Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy which will lay down the way ahead for strengthening defence production within the country and help in their export to friendly foreign countries.

The initiative came after Prime Minister Modi took a review meeting with the Defence Ministry officials including the then Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat where it was felt that strong measures will have to be taken to ensure that country moves firmly towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector. After the meeting took place, an Additional Secretary-rank officer of the Defence Ministry wrote a note to the three Services saying that “All stakeholders may take an in-principle call that no import of defence items is going forward.”

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During the short meeting, held ‘virtually,’ as the defence minister was down with Covid, the issue of procurement under Buy (Global) category came up for discussion during the DAC meeting. It was decided to firmly push indigenisation or as the government said, Atmanirbharata. The Army plan to buy QR SAMs or Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missiles has been turned from a Buy Global to a Buy Indian order. This means that only Indian firms will be able to supply the three regiments of QR SAMs to the Army’s air-defence system.

A similar decision has been taken for the Articulated All Terrain Vehicles which can be used in high-altitude areas. All 18 of them will be purchased from Indian vendors. This was initially a Buy Global case. The decision about light machine guns for the Army followed a similar pattern. This will also be Buy and Make Indian.

There are, of course, weaponry that are urgently needed and cannot be immediately made in India like tank engines, gun-missile systems, high-quality rifles, not to speak of fighter planes like the Rafale. These issues will again come up for discussion in the next DAC meetings on January 20 and 21.

Under the Buy (Global) category, procurement is done directly from the foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The decision taken will not impact deals already inked under the Buy (Global) route, those being pursued under the government-to-government route and the Foreign Military sales (FMS) route with the US.

Foreign OEMs are now welcome to tie up with Indian firms or set up their own factories to not only supply the Indian military but also for other countries.

The defence services were earlier asked to prepare a list of procurement plans from abroad that could be replaced by indigenous items. Accordingly, each service — Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard — had come forward with a list of such items.

The items in question

One mega deal in this list was the procurement of 14 twin-engine helicopters, for which French firm Airbus was the prime contender. A decision has been taken to shelve this project in favour of the naval utility helicopter (NUH) of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). However, it was not immediately clear what happened to the $3 billion project of the Navy to procure 111 new helicopters of the same class (that is, NUHs).

The Army will now go in for indigenous ATVs that will come handy in both the desert and mountains.

A project to acquire short range missiles from abroad has also been shelved in favour of the Make in India route.

Push for Make in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have been emphasising on indigenous defence products. These issues came up for discussion multiple times and the forces were also amenable to this, since alternate items were already available domestically and foreign companies were willing to set up facilities in the country.

Singh, in his talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu, made it clear that the way forward was Make in India. Similarly, during his meeting with French Defence Minister Florence Parly, Singh had called on French firms to “either collaborate with Indian companies or simply produce in India”.

This initiative from the government comes at a time when the Centre is coming up with the new Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy which will lay down the way ahead for strengthening defence production within the country and help in their export to friendly foreign countries.

The initiative came after Prime Minister Modi took a review meeting with the Defence Ministry officials including the then Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat where it was felt that strong measures will have to be taken to ensure that country moves firmly towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector. After the meeting took place, an Additional Secretary-rank officer of the Defence Ministry wrote a note to the three Services saying that “All stakeholders may take an in-principle call that no import of defence items is going forward.”

The Prime Minister has been personally reviewing the progress of Make in India in the defence sector and has from time to time asked officials in both services and the Defence Ministry to ensure that more steps are taken to promote Make in India in defence.

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