MoD signs $237-mn deal with BEL for two indigenous Mountain Radars for IAF
New Delhi, March 31. In a major push to strengthen indigenous defence capabilities under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) and ‘Make-in-India’ initiatives, the Ministry of Defence has signed a capital acquisition contract worth around ₹1,950 crore ($237 million) with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of two Mountain Radars for the Indian Air Force.
The contract, inked here on March 31, falls under the Buy (Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category and was signed in the presence of senior officials from the ministry and the defence public sector undertaking.
The Mountain Radar system has been indigenously designed and developed by the Electronics & Radar Development Establishment, a laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, and will be manufactured by BEL.
Once installed and commissioned, the radars are expected to significantly enhance India’s air defence preparedness, particularly in mountainous terrain, thereby bolstering national security. The procurement is also aimed at reducing dependence on foreign-origin equipment while promoting domestic defence manufacturing.
