Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chairs first Defence Acquisition Council meeting

To give a boost to indigenisation, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh,accorded approval for procurement of indigenous Software Defined Radio (SDRTactical) and Next Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries (Long Range) for the Indian Navy here August 8th.

The SDR is a complex and state of art communication system, which has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO, BEL and Weapons Electronics System Engineering Establishment (WESEE). It would enable information sharing, collaboration and situational awareness through high-speed data and secure voice communication with anti-jamming capability.

Next Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Batteries (NGMMCB, LongRange) would be fitted with supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface cruise missiles and would be deployed along the coast. The NGMMCB has been developed and manufactured in India by Indo-Russia Joint Venture Company, M/s BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited.

Both these indigenously developed equipment are of the latest generation and would give a fillip to the Make-in-India initiatives of the Government.

Continuing its focus on ‘Ease of business’ in the defence acquisition, the DAC also approved amendments to the Defence Procurement Procedure 2016. The amendments are designed to simplify processes under the ‘Make’ category as well as ‘Offsets’.

This was the first DAC meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh since assuming office.