The Defence Acquisition Council(DAC), headed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, is likely to give a go ahead on Saturday to the purchase of six missile boats worth over Rs 13,000 crore, 45,000 rifles from Israel for infantry, six Brahmos missile sets for Talwar clas of warships and five fleet-support vessels. The issue of fixing the price of M-777 howitzers and SU-400 missiles for air defence are also likely to come up for discussion.
The apex body for clearing acquisition plans of the armed forces, the DAC is also likely to clear the IAF proposal for buying at least 100 armed drones, sources said here on Friday. The drones will help the IAF in detecting and knocking down any suspicious object defying the Indian airspace. The drones are likely to come from Israel.
As regards the M-777 howitzer deal, officials said the Army desperately needs more than 145 such guns for fighting mountain warfare. India proposes to procure these howitzers from the US through the foreign military sale route(FMS) wherein the US government stands guarantee for supply and maintenance of the weapon system. These guns will be deployed in the Mountain Strike Corps now getting raised for meeting any challenge from China.
There was difference of opinion on fixing the price and both the countries agreed for 750 million dollar tag. The DAC in October last year decided to take a call on the final price and the meet on Saturday will take the final decision. If cleared, the proposal will then go to Cabinet Committee on Security(CCS) for the final nod, officials said. Incidentally, this project is hanging for more than ten years besides procurement of long range artillery guns. The Army is yet to procure a new artillery gun since the Bofors controversy in 1986.
On the issue of S-400 Triumf missile defence system to knock down an incoming missile or an aircraft at a range of more than 400 kms, the DAC will take final decision as the price tag for at least six batteries of the system cost more than six billion dollars. The IAF may go in for two batteries for the time being given budgetary constraints, officials said. The DAC last year had given in principle approval for the system. China has placed an order for ten S-400 systems and will get the entire system by the end of next year.
Besides this big ticket item, the DAC will also take up the IAF proposal for procuring missile avoidance system for its VVIP aircraft fleet, they said. The apex body is also likely to approve the Navy project for acquisition of two Special Operations vessels besides Spyder air defence missile system for the IAF.