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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
Special Correspondent

Army to get 25 advanced light helicopters at ₹3,850 crore

A file photo of Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Mk-III indigenously designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) inducted into Indian Coast Guard. (Source: PTI)

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Wednesday accorded approval to capital acquisition proposals of the three Services worth approximately ₹13,165 crore. The key proposals include helicopters, guided munitions and rocket ammunition.

Of these, procurements worth ₹11,486 crore were from domestic sources, the Defence Ministry said.

Also Read: Coast Guard inducts three ALH MK-III helicopters

“Looking into the need of the Indian Army for an Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Squadron, to improve its integral lift capability ensuring its operational preparedness, the DAC accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of 25 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH)-Mark III helicopters from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under Buy Indian-IDDM at an approximate cost of ₹3,850 crore,” a Ministry statement stated.

To give a boost to indigenous design and development of ammunition, the DAC approved the procurement of Terminally Guided Munition (TGM) and rocket ammunition under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category at an approximate cost of ₹4,962 crore from domestic sources, the statement noted. Other proposals worth ₹4,353 crore were also accorded AoN by the DAC.

Further, the DAC approved a few amendments to the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 as a part of business process re-engineering to ensure further ease of doing business for the industry as well as measures to enhance procurement efficiency and reduce the timelines, the statement added.

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