The Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed in Parliament on Friday the names of 18 major defence platforms that can no longer be imported. Instead, they will henceforth be indigenously designed and developed (D&D) by domestic industry.
“In continuous pursuit of achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ and in sync with the announcement made in the Union Budget 2022-23 that allocated 25 percent of the defence R&D budget for industry-led R&D, 18 major platforms have been identified and announced by the MoD for industry led D&D,” stated the MoD in a written response to a Parliamentary question.
These include Army platforms, such as a light-weight tank, self-healing minefields and “plug-and-play housing” for soldiers posted at extreme altitudes. The Navy platforms including a 127 millimetre naval gun for capital warships, while the Air Force platforms include the long-awaited Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and a stand-off airborne jammer. (Economics Times)
