Article Posted on : - Oct 26, 2012

Konkurs-M ATGM system.

NEW DELHI (PTI): A Rs 1,200 crore proposal for procuring 10,000 anti-tank guided missiles for the Indian Army from Russia has been cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

The CCS cleared the proposal to acquire Russian-origin 10,000 Konkurs-M anti-tank guided missiles for the Mechanised Infantry and Infantry battalions of the Army, sources told PTI here.

The Konkurs-M are part of the weapon systems being procured by the force to augment the anti-tank arsenal in the Army, they said.

The CCS had last week cleared the purchase of 25,000 Invar missiles for the T-90 tank fleet under a Rs 2,000 crore proposal.

The Konkurs are part of the anti-tank weapon family of the force which includes the Milan anti-tank guided missiles which India has been buying from France and also license-producing it at the Bharat Dynamics Limited facilities here.

Soon after the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, there were reports suggesting that the Army was facing a severe shortage of tank ammunition as well as anti-tank weapons.

Former Army Chief Gen V K Singh had also written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh highlighting a critical shortage of tank ammunition and obsolescence of the air defence weaponry.

Soon after the letter was received, Defence Minister A K Antony held several rounds of meetings with top Ministry brass and military officials and since then has taken steps to ease the shortfall.