Page 15 - ADT MARCH / APRIL 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

approximately US$300 million. The enhance the operational efficiency Navy and the Indian Coast Guard
Dornier Do-228 MLU will involve and domination in the Tactical Battle (ICG) over the country’s vast mar-
incorporation of new avionics Area for engaging targets that are itime area. This aircraft will be the
and radars and will significantly Beyond Visual Line of Sight by Airbus Defence C295 which is now
the operational capability of the the Mechanised Forces. The AoN under production for the IAF. AoN
Navy to perform Primary Roles under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category under the Buy (Indian) category
of Maritime Surveillance, Coastal was accorded for procurement of was also accorded for procure-
Surveillance, Electronic Intelligence Canister Launched Anti-Armour ment of Active Towed Array Sonars
and development of Maritime Loiter Munition System and an Air having capabilities to operate at low
Domain Awareness. In addition, Defence Tactical Control Radar. The frequencies and various depths for
this upgrade will also enable AoN for procurement of Medium long range detections of adversary
Indian Navy Dornier’s to carry Range Maritime Reconnaissance submarines. The AoN was also
out Secondary Roles of Search and Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft, accorded for procurement of Heavy
and Rescue, Medical/Casualty through Buy and Make category, Weight Torpedoes for enhancing
Evacuation and Communication was also granted by the DAC for
Link. strengthening the surveillance and the capabilities of Navy P75 Kalvari
Class submarines..
interdiction capabilities of the Indian
HAL also received a contract in
March worth approximately US$500
million for manufacture of RD-33
aero engines for IAF MiG-29
aircraft. These engines will be
produced by the Koraput Division
of HAL and are expected to ful-
fill the need of the IAF to sustain the
operational capability of its MiG-29
fleet for the residual service life.
The aero-engines will be manufac-
tured under Transfer of Technology
(TOT) license from the Russian
OEM. The programme will focus
on indigenisation of several high
value critical components, which
would help increase the indige-
nous content of future Repair and
Overhaul (ROH) tasks of RD-33
aero-engines.

Procurement Pipeline
India’s Defence Acquisition
Council (DAC), which is headed by
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in
February accorded its approval for
Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for
various capital acquisition propos-
als amounting to nearly US$10
billion. Procurement approval was
granted under the Buy {Indian-
Indigenously Designed Developed
and Manufactured (IDDM)} category
for procurement of a new gener-
ation of anti-tank mines having
a seismic sensor and provision
of remote deactivation with addi-
tional safety features. In order to
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY MARCH - APRIL 2024 | 15