The Indian Army will be replacing its vintage anti-aircraft guns, decided the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) - headed by the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar -- that met late this evening. The committee has cleared purchase of defence equipment worth Rs 30,000 crore, sources said.
The new guns will have to be bought from Indian companies. But no Indian firm has yet demonstrated the capacity to manufacture these weapons. The army is likely to get 428 guns and it is likely to cost the exchequer Rs 16,900 crore.
Currently, the Indian army uses L-70 and Zu- 23 mm guns of 1950s vintage, acquired from Swedish manufacturer Bofors and from the erstwhile Soviet Union's Podolsky Electromechanical Plant.
The Narendra Modi government hopes that Indian companies that have entered the sphere of defence equipment manufacturing - including Larsen & Toubro, public sector units Bharat Electronics and Bharat Forge, Tata's and Punj Lyod - will tie up foreign manufacturers, who are now allowed to acquire 49% stake, and acquire the technology.
The Indian Navy has eight such long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft made by Boeing. The purchase of four more is likely to cost the exchequer Rs 4,380 crore.
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