Article Posted on : - Jan 05, 2011

KOZHIKODE (PTI): The Government would soon announce the indigenisation policy, Defence procurement and Defence production policies, Union Defence Minister A K Antony said Tuesday.

“The indigenisation policy, Defence procurement policy and Defence production policy are ready and will be announced very soon,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the foundation stone laying function for the National Institute for Research and Development of Defence Shipbuilding at nearby Chaliyam.

Antony said there was no controversy on the deal signed by India with Russia for the fifth generation fighter aircraft.

“The deal signed was only for preliminary design contract and is not a final contract,” he said.

Considering the security situation around the country, India needs such aircraft possessed by USA and Russia, he said.

To a query on the Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), he said the project needs a detailed study and would take more time before the deal was signed.

“No undue haste will be shown and everything will be studied in detail before signing the deal,” the minister said.

Antony said the Light Combat Aircraft, once considered a dream, would become a reality as initial tests of LCA will be done at Bangalore on January 10. “Indian Air Force had given orders for 40 LCAs,” he said.

Antony expressed hope that the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier being built at Cochin Shipyard Ltd would be ready for final launch in 2014.

He said piracy in the Indian Ocean had not come down in spite of the presence of navies from nearly 18 countries like USA, Russia, France, Germany, England and India.

“It is not possible to say Somalian pirates alone are behind these acts. There are certain forces helping these pirates.

However it is not possible to pinpoint who these are,” he said.

Antony said many countries have also expressed doubts to him during his visits abroad over “certain forces being behind these pirates.”