Article Posted on : - Mar 04, 2022

NEW DELHI (PTI):  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it has given in-principle approval for the design and development of nine defence equipment by the Indian industry.

Out of the total nine projects, four have been offered in 'Make-I category' under which the Centre provides 90 per cent funding in a phased manner, the ministry said on Thursday in a statement.

The four projects are communication equipment with Indian security protocols, airborne electro optical pod with ground based system and airborne stand-off jammer for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and light tank for the Army, it mentioned.

"This is for the first time since the launch of industry-friendly Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020 that Indian industry has been involved in development of big ticket platforms such as light tank and communication equipment with Indian security protocols," it noted.

Five projects have also been offered in 'Make-II category' under which no government funding is provided for prototype development, it noted.

These five projects include full motion simulator for Apache helicopter, full motion simulator for Chinook helicopter and wearable robotic equipment for aircraft maintenance for the IAF, and integrated surveillance and targeting system for mechanised forces and autonomous combat vehicle for the Indian Army, it mentioned.

"The indigenous development of these (nine) projects in the country will help harness the design capabilities of Indian defence industry and position India as a design leader in these technologies," it noted.