600 Hammer bombs, anti-tank missiles among Rs 5,000-crore deal set for nod

The Defence Ministry is expected to clear a series of major procurement proposals, including Hammer precision-guided munitions, Verba air defence systems, indigenous anti-tank missiles and high-altitude pseudo satellites, at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) scheduled for July 3, defence sources said.

The meeting assumes significance as it will be the first DAC session attended by the new military leadership, including Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.

Among the key proposals slated for consideration is the induction of the indigenous Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MP-ATGM), developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army.

Under the proposal, the Army is expected to procure 100 launchers, 2,300 missiles and five simulators. The system will be manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), with the project estimated to cost over Rs 2,600 crore.

The Defence Ministry is also expected to explore additional production partners from the private sector to scale up manufacturing of the indigenously designed and developed missile system.

In another major proposal aimed at enhancing precision-strike capabilities, the DAC is likely to consider the acquisition of 600 Hammer (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) air-to-ground precision-guided munitions. The weapons, originally developed by France's Safran, are proposed to be manufactured in India by Bharat Electronics Limited under the Make in India initiative.

The Hammer munitions were first inducted under emergency procurement powers following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash with China. The Indian Air Force is expected to equip its Rafale and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fleets with the missiles, while the Indian Navy plans to deploy them on its Rafale Marine fighter aircraft. The proposed deal is estimated to be worth around Rs 2,400 crore.

The DAC is also expected to consider a proposal to procure a large number of Russian-origin Verba Very Short-Range Air Defence Systems (V-SHORADS) for the Army Air Defence Corps. The systems are planned to be manufactured in India by Adani Defence and Aerospace. The Verba missile is regarded as a more advanced successor to the Igla systems currently in service with the Indian Army.

Other proposals likely to come up for approval include fixed-wing pseudo satellites, naval shipborne aerial systems, software-defined radios, kamikaze drones, drone detection systems and upgrades related to the Scorpene-class submarine fleet.

The meeting comes after a gap of several months and is expected to provide a fresh push to India's military modernisation efforts, with a strong focus on indigenous manufacturing and capability enhancement across the armed forces.

- Ends