Article Posted on : - Apr 05, 2016

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Indian Army will soon issue a new tender for procuring over 1.3 lakh bulletproof vests, much needed by soldiers since 2009.

Defence sources said the tender would be issued for capital procurement of over 1.36 lakh bulletproof jackets.

The government had in October last withdrawn a 2009 tender for procurement of over 1.86 lakh bulletproof jackets for army after the item fielded by the vendor failed the trials.

The government has already allotted a contract to an Indian private firm for 50,000 bulletproof jackets under the emergency clause after the issue was taken up by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikkar.

The government had first issued a tender for procuring bulletproof jackets in 2009. 1.86 lakh jackets were to be inducted by 2012 while another 1.67 lakh were to be ordered in the second round.