India buys $5.46 billion worth of military equipment

India has taken major steps to modernize and strengthen its military. The country's Defense Ministry has given in-principle approval to purchase various types of military equipment worth $5.46 billion (about Rs 520 billion in Indian currency). Under this huge deal, missiles, kamikaze drones, drone destruction systems and electronic warfare equipment will be procured.

The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by the Indian Defense Minister and comprising top military officials, gave in-principle approval for this purchase. The matter was confirmed in a statement issued by the government.

However, no specific time frame or information was released on how long these equipment will be purchased or whether they will be imported from abroad or manufactured in the Indian domestic market.

The statement said that the Indian Army will be provided with anti-drone and electronic warfare systems, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, man-portable anti-tank missiles and a sophisticated jet-based kamikaze drone system under this agreement.

In addition to the army, the DAC has approved the purchase of new naval mines and drones for use on warships to increase the capabilities of the navy and strengthen maritime surveillance. The list also includes plans to buy a high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) platform for the country's air force to collect intelligence and perform remote sensing.

For the past decade, India has been trying to reduce its dependence on Russia, its traditional main military equipment supplier. As part of this, New Delhi is on the one hand increasing defense ties with countries such as the United States and France, and on the other hand, is putting great emphasis on increasing domestic production.

India's current defense budget is $ 85 billion. A large part of this huge budget is spent on modernizing the navy. In December, India began placing orders for at least 75 warships and submarines, most of which are being built using indigenous technology. Earlier this year, top officials approved the purchase of defense equipment worth $39 billion, including French Rafale fighter jets.

Source: Geo News.