Page 25 - ADT FEBRUARY - MARCH 2021 Online Magazine

announcements at the show included a formal
order with HAL for 83 Tejas Mk-1A fighter jets
worth Rs480 billion and grant of initial oper-
ational clearance for the Army version of the [ REPORT ]
Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). HAL also handed
over the first maritime variants of the Dhruv
Mk-III to the Indian Navy (3 nos) and Coast
Guard (2 nos).
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated
India’s target of increasing ita defence base
from US$11 billion to US$25 billion by 2025
including an export component of $5 billion.
India aim to bring down defence imports by
2022 by at least $2 billion to encourage local
Defence of defence manufacturing. 138 proposals for
domestic manufacturing worth over $37 bil-
lion were approved between 2016 and 2019.
Defence exports grew from Rs20 billion to
Rs90 billion between 2015 to 2020.
the Realm The airshow was also the venue for ToTs

from the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) to Indian industry. DRDO
and HAL exchanged an MoU to cooperate and
finalize the ToT aspects of the Uttam radar for
new LCA configurations and new generation
Radar Warning Receiver (RWR-NG). The DRDO
AERO INDIA 2021 SHOWED THAT INDIA IS handed over Licensing Agreements for ToT
SERIOUS ABOUT INDIGENISING ITS DEFENCE (LAToT) for 14 DRDO developed technologies
PROCUREMENT NEEDS to 20 industries. The technologies transferred
are from the fields of electronics, laser tech-
nology, armaments, life sciences, materials
Atul Chandra science, combat vehicles, naval systems,
aeronautics, sensors, etc. Product technolo-
The first airshow of 2021 brought a welcome change from the gies transferred to various industries. include
previous year. Aero India, which was well organised and smoothly Low Level Transportable Radar (LLTR), Inertial
conducted, has set a template for conduct of such airshows in the Navigation System for Ship Application (INS-
post pandemic environment. While light on foreign participation due SA), Long Range Optical Target Locator (OTL
to pandemic related restrictions, India’s major defence partners 1500), Hand Held Through Wall Imaging Radar
Russia, France, Israel, USA and the UK were well represented. (HH-TWIR) and Commander TI (Thermal
Imager) Sight for T-72 Tank. A unique capabil-
What was most evident at the airshow however, was the Indian ity developed by DRDO NMRL-Fuel Cell based
Government’s strong intent to increase the nation’s defence man- Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology
ufacturing base. A total of 128 MoU’s, 19 Transfer of Technologies for naval submarines named NMFCAIP was
(ToT), 4 Hand Overs, 18 Product Launches and 32 major also transferred to the industry. The DRDO’s
announcements were made at the airshow in Bengaluru. Important Multi Agent Robotic System (MARS) will now
be produced by Indian industry.

Armament systems such as the155 mm X 52 Cal
Advance Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS),
Mechanical Mine Layer - Self Propelled (MML–
SP) and Prachand Anti-Tank Munition are
handed over to the industry for production.
Other technologies that are transferred for
production by Indian industry are Individual
Under Water Breathing Apparatus (IUWBA),
Basic WhAP 8x8 & Add-on Armour for WhAP
and 4 MW Diesel Engine Infrared Signature
Suppression System.

ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY February/March 2021 | 25