Defence Purchase Cleared

India is set to give final approval to a $2.6 billion deal for military helicopters from US defence firm Lockheed Martin ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this month, defence and industry sources said.

The US is keen to make its defence partnership with India stronger, the Pentagon has said, but made it clear that it is against any country purchasing military equipment, including the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, that is designed to counter America's sophisticated fifth-generation aircraft.

A plan to procure some much-needed fire-power for the armed forces, expected to cost Rs 15,935 crore, was cleared by a top government committee, chaired by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, today. The list includes light machine guns, assault rifles and sniper rifles, the government said.

Former Defence Minister and senior Congress leader AK Antony on Sunday asked the government to reveal the purchase price and other terms and conditions of the Rafale fighter deal with France to clear doubts about the controversial defence contract.

A top government panel led by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday decided to purchase 1,66,000 assault rifles and battle carbines, the basic weapon used by soldiers, on a fast track basis for the armed forces.

The government will spend Rs 67,000 crore on made-in-India military hardware, with a defence ministry panel today clearing the purchase of 83 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, 15 Light Combat helicopters and 464 T-90 tanks.

Defence Acquisition Council has cleared the purchase of five S-400 air defence systems from Russia, two defence ministry sources said today.

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 government cleared the purchase of close to Rs 30,000 crore ($4.74 billion) worth of new defence equipment today, including four maritime spy planes from Boeing and hundreds of air defence guns, a defence ministry spokesman said.

Reliance Defence would purchase nearly 18 per cent stake from promoter group led by Nikhil Gandhi at Rs 63 per share, amounting to Rs 819 crore, and subsequently make an open offer for an additional 26 per cent at Rs 66 apiece, aggregating Rs 1,263.3 crore.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that the decision to buy 126 fighter jets from France cleared by the previous Congress-led government, was not thought through properly. The purchase, he said, should not have been made through a global tender, but through a government to government deal.

In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" promise made from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the Centre opened defence manufacturing to the private sector on Friday and cleared purchases to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore.

India is set to give final approval to a $2.6 billion deal for military helicopters from US defence firm Lockheed Martin ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this month, defence and industry sources said.

The US is keen to make its defence partnership with India stronger, the Pentagon has said, but made it clear that it is against any country purchasing military equipment, including the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, that is designed to counter America's sophisticated fifth-generation aircraft.

A plan to procure some much-needed fire-power for the armed forces, expected to cost Rs 15,935 crore, was cleared by a top government committee, chaired by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, today. The list includes light machine guns, assault rifles and sniper rifles, the government said.

Former Defence Minister and senior Congress leader AK Antony on Sunday asked the government to reveal the purchase price and other terms and conditions of the Rafale fighter deal with France to clear doubts about the controversial defence contract.

A top government panel led by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday decided to purchase 1,66,000 assault rifles and battle carbines, the basic weapon used by soldiers, on a fast track basis for the armed forces.

The government will spend Rs 67,000 crore on made-in-India military hardware, with a defence ministry panel today clearing the purchase of 83 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, 15 Light Combat helicopters and 464 T-90 tanks.

Defence Acquisition Council has cleared the purchase of five S-400 air defence systems from Russia, two defence ministry sources said today.

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 government cleared the purchase of close to Rs 30,000 crore ($4.74 billion) worth of new defence equipment today, including four maritime spy planes from Boeing and hundreds of air defence guns, a defence ministry spokesman said.

Reliance Defence would purchase nearly 18 per cent stake from promoter group led by Nikhil Gandhi at Rs 63 per share, amounting to Rs 819 crore, and subsequently make an open offer for an additional 26 per cent at Rs 66 apiece, aggregating Rs 1,263.3 crore.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that the decision to buy 126 fighter jets from France cleared by the previous Congress-led government, was not thought through properly. The purchase, he said, should not have been made through a global tender, but through a government to government deal.

In keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" promise made from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the Centre opened defence manufacturing to the private sector on Friday and cleared purchases to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore.