In a major boost to the Centre’s plans for domestic defence manufacturing, the defence ministry signed an agreement with the state-run Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) to acquire 4,960 anti-tank guided missiles, costing ₹1,188 crores, for the Indian Army.
The Milan-2T is a Tandem Warhead ATGM with a range of 1,850 meters, produced by Bharat Dynamics Ltd. under license from MBDA Missile Systems, France. Tandem warheads comprise a forward charge and a rear charge separated by a blast shield. The forward charge fires first and disrupts the outer armor of the target. The rear charge fires after a short while and penetrates the remaining armor of the target. The missiles are being produced by BDL under license from French defence major MBDA Missile Systems.
The agreement is a ‘Repeat Order’ of contract, which was signed with Bharat Dynamics Ltd. on March 08, 2016, the government said. The ministry has finalized a range of procurement projects in the last few months to enhance the overall combat capabilities of the three forces.
“These missiles can be fired from ground as well as vehicle-based launchers and can be deployed in the anti-tank role for both offensive and defensive tasks,” the ministry said. “Induction of these missiles will further enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces. Induction is planned to be completed in three years,” it added.
Under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat programs, the government has been pushing the Indian private sector to manufacture more defence hardware in the country to reduce India’s defence armaments imports as well as transform India into a defence manufacturing hub. The government has set up two industrial corridors one in the north and one in the south to encourage defence manufacturing.
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