Indian MoD identifies 108 additional defence platforms, items to be sourced locally

In another push to reduce materiel imports India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) released on 31 May a list of 108 additional military platforms, items, and related systems that are to be progressively sourced from local manufacturers over a four-year period starting in December 2021.

The release of the “Second Positive Indigenisation List” follows New Delhi's announcement in mid-August 2020 that it would ban the import of 101 military products – including artillery, armoured vehicles, destroyers, submarines, and light combat aircraft – to spur the advancement of the country's defence industrial base.

The follow-on list includes single-engined army helicopters weighing up to 3.5 tons, next-generation corvettes, airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems, high-altitude battlefield surveillance radars, and land-based medium-range surface-to-air missiles.

Also on the list are fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 14.5 mm anti-materiel rifles, mine-protected combat vehicles, high-altitude clothing and equipment, long-range glide bombs, limpet mines and 1,000-hp engines for T-72M main battle tanks.

The bulk of the items listed, however, comprises sub-systems, accessories, and assorted ammunition such as 125 kg general-purpose bombs, 40 mm grenades, steering gear for warships, thermal-imaging sights for small arms, drop tanks for SEPECAT Jaguar and Dassault Mirage 2000H combat aircraft, multifunction display systems for locally built aircraft, and submarine air-conditioning plants, among other equipment.

“This [move] will give further boost to indigenisation with active participation of the public and private sector for fulfilling the twin objectives of achieving self-reliance and promoting defence exports,” according to a statement by the Indian government's Press Information Bureau (PIB).

To achieve this goal the MoD, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and Service Headquarters will take all “necessary steps, including hand holding of industry, to ensure that timelines mentioned in the list are met”, it added.