In the wake of Jammu terror strike, MoD clears Rs 160 bn rifle procurement

The defence ministry has gone through several long-running acquisition processes for assault rifles and carbines but cancelled them all, most recently last year

 

Two days after yet another deadly terrorist strike in Jammu claimed six Indian lives, the government restarted a faltering procurement aimed at strengthening the firepower of the frontline infantry soldier, who bears the brunt of counter-insurgency operations and deployment along the Pakistan and China borders. | Today's Paper

On Tuesday, the ministry’s apex Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, cleared the capital purchase of assault rifles, sniper rifles and light machine guns worth about Rs 159.35 billion ($2.5 billion).

“In the last one month, to equip the soldiers on the border with modern and more effective equipment, the DAC has fast-tracked procurement of the three main personal weapons, i.e., rifles, carbines and light machine guns”, a defence ministry release stated.

The “Fast Track Process” of the Defence Procurement Policy of 2016 (DPP-2016), is directed at concluding an acquisition within a year.

Over the preceding decade, the defence ministry has gone through several long-running acquisition processes for small arms – which include assault rifles, carbines and light machine guns – but cancelled them all, most recently last year.

ALSO READ: Jammu terror attack: MoD clears Rs 160 bn rifle purchase & 10 developments

The core of the approvals accorded today relate to the infantry’s basic weapon – the assault rifle. Approval was accorded for procuring 740,000 assault rifles for an estimated cost of Rs 122.80 billion ($1.91 billion).

The ministry stated the rifles will be procured under the category of “Buy and Make (Indian)”. This involves buying a limited number of fully-built rifles from the chosen global vendor, who then transfers technology to India to build the bulk of the order in the public sector Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and by private firms.

The DAC also approved procurement of 5,719 sniper rifles for long-range shooting by the army and the air force at a cost of Rs 9.82 billion ($153 million). Given the complexity of these high precision weapons, they will not be built in India; but procured fully-built under the “Buy Global” category of the DPP.

However, “the ammunition for these will be initially procured [from abroad] and subsequently manufactured in India”, said the defence ministry release.

The DAC also cleared the purchase of an “essential quantity” of light machine guns for an estimated cost of Rs 18.19 crore ($283 million). This initial procurement is intended to meet the immediate “operational requirement of the troops deployed on the borders... [while a] concurrent proposal is being processed for the [remaining requirement] to be procured under the ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ categorisation,” said the ministry.

As Business Standard earlier reported (November 4, “Infantry to get foreign rifles, others to get 'made in India'”), the government is proceeding on two parallel acquisition tracks to procure small arms at affordable prices. | Readmore

Nirmala Sitharaman says Pak to pay for Sunjuwan attack: Top 10 developments

Sitharaman also asserted that Islamabad was expanding its 'arc of terror' to areas south of the Pir Panjal Range in the Jammu region

Today's Paper:Pakistan will pay for its "misadventure" and India reserved the right to respond at a "time of its choosing", Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday, while blaming Islamabad for the terrorist attack at the Indian Army's Sunjuwan military camp in Jammu. After a visit to the Army camp, Sitharaman also asserted that Islamabad was expanding its "arc of terror" to areas south of the Pir Panjal Range in the Jammu region.

The defence minister added that Rs 14.87 billion (Rs 1,487 crore) has been allocated to enhance security at military installations.

ALSO READ: Sunjwan: Army sets camp ablaze; Pak alleges India creating 'war hysteria'

A group of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists had struck the Sunjuwan military camp in the wee hours on Saturday, killing six people, including five soldiers. Three terrorists were also gunned down.

However, despite her strong words, the defence minister refused to "set a timeline" for when Pakistan would "pay for its misadventure".

Here are the top 10 developments:
1) Pakistan will 'pay' at a time of India's choosing: Sitharaman blamed Pakistan for the terrorist attack at the Sunjuwan military camp and made it clear that it will pay the price for its "misadventure".
She asserted that even though evidence of Pakistan's role may be shared, India still reserved the "right to respond adequately at the time of our choosing".

"Pakistan will pay for this misadventure. I repeat, Pakistan will pay for it," the defence minister, who arrived in Jammu on Monday to take stock of the situation, told reporters. "I would not certainly set a timeline but Pakistan will pay for this misadventure. I can only assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire country that the Army, both the governments at the state and the Centre, are definitely looking at it with all seriousness," she said.

2) India will share evidence with Pakistan, but it still reserves the right to retaliate: Asked whether the government was sharing evidence with Pakistan, Sitharaman replied in the affirmative. "Yes, all the evidences which have been collected will be compiled and, definitely, the evidences will be given, as always, to Pakistan. But, Pakistan, inspite of being given dossier after dossier, has not taken any action, she said. "On the contrary, we find people directly responsible for the Mumbai attack and many others still free and roaming happily in Pakistan," the defence minister added.

She said the Centre would provide evidence to prove that the handlers of the terrorists were back in Pakistan and were influencing the attack.

Sitharaman said giving evidence to Pakistan would have to be a continuous process because it has to be proven over and over again, as many number of times, so that their involvement is there for everybody to see. "The evidences will strengthen that argument. But giving that does not deny us our right to respond adequately and at a time of which we think fit," she said.

3) 'Terrorists may have enjoyed local support': The defence minister said the JeM module that conducted the attack might have infiltrated sometime back and possibly enjoyed local support. "The demography of the cantonment and adjoining areas indicates the possibility of local support to the terrorists and an alert had been sounded on the likelihood of an attack by the terrorists around this period," she said. | Readmore