Procurement Projects of over 7,000 crore is cleared by Defence Ministry

           

               In order to speed up the process of military modernization process, the Defence Ministry cleared procurement projects worth over Rs 7,000 crore including the long-pending acquisition of 145 Ultra Light Howitzers from the US under a Rs 3,000 crore deal.

            The decision to go ahead with the procurement of 145 M777 howitzers from the US under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route and several other items was taken at an important meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which is headed by Defence Minister A. K. Antony himself.

              The DAC also cleared a proposal to procure over 65 radars for the L-70 air defence guns which will be worth over Rs 3,000 crore. The project approved by the DAC will now be put up before the finance ministry for clearance before they are taken up by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for the very final approval.

               The Ultra Light Howitzers of 155 mm (39 calibers) were being acquired for deployment in high altitude areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, adding that this would be the first acquisition of howitzers by the Army in the last 26 years. After the Bofors controversy in 1986, no new gun has been procured by Army for its artillery ammunition.